Shenzi Goes to Thra
by dondena
Summary: Shenzi the hyena is transported to another planet and meets a new friend, one who has much in common with her.
1. Chapter 1

**In this first chapter, it only takes place on Earth. **

In Africa, the sun was setting on the horizon. This was the most favorite time of day for many predators.

There were a pair of hyenas out tonight, but hunting was not exactly on their minds. They had hunted all their lives together, and now were wanting to work on a relationship with each other. Their names were Shenzi and Banzai. Their third friend, Ed was back at the den sleeping tonight. They had told him to stay behind.

The two of them had begun developing feelings for each other a few months ago. They had gotten much closer after the downfall of Scar and his pride. They and the pack had killed Scar, while his pride had been banished by Simba to the Outlands.

The hyenas were supposed to go back to the old elephant graveyard, or leave the territory. Shenzi, as the leader, she decided to lead what was left of her pack elsewhere. Now they lived in a paradise savannah now that the rains had come to stay for awhile. Food was plentiful.

The Pack was made up mostly of other females, but there were other males too. Now that the tough times had passed, and the hyena clan had lost some of their numbers in the fight over Pride Rock, the clan was starting to think about bringing new life into it again. There hadn't been any new pups in the clan for a long time.

Shenzi didn't care which pairs split up to go breed and make pups, just as long as no other female snuck off with Banzai, her chosen mate. Banzai had chosen her too, so there was no chance he was going to sneak off with another female. Banzai was the lead male after all.

Shenzi was one tough female, as females in a hyena clan tend to be. She had to be if she wanted to stay leader. She had never had pups yet, but with her as lead female, her pups would be the highest pups in the hierarchy too. She herself had only become lead female because not just because of how tough she was, but also because her own mother had been leader too. She had taken over when she had been killed by lions.

But on this night, as Shenzi and Banzai just walked through the tall green grass, they were enjoying each other's company, but there was another thing on their minds. Shenzi was nervous about this, but she and Banzai were now planning their own litter of pups to come. The clan needed future leaders too.

She was nervous because she had never done this before. Just the concept of soft tender love with a male was new to her. She was also in heat, so with the right amount of love making, Shenzi would soon be pregnant with her clan's new leader.

Shenzi didn't like the idea of not being leader anymore, but she knew her reign wouldn't last forever, so if something happened to her, her daughter would take over for her, like she had her mother. If she had a son, he couldn't fully lead the clan. He would need a sister for that.

Shenzi was really wanting a daughter, or two daughters, if something should happen to one. Whether she had one or twins, all she cared about was that she and Banzai would raise them together. Ed would help too, but he was wanting a mate to call his own too. But not too many females in the clan found him favorable with his idiot looks and constant laugh, rarely ever saying anything.

Hyenas, like many other pairs, preferred to be alone when doing the baby making business. Shenzi and Banzai were alone most of the night together, but returned early in the morning to get some rest. During this time, the two of them wouldn't hunt.

Banzai stayed by Shenzi's side almost constantly. They were sharing kisses and nuzzles and sleeping next to each other.

Soon, Shenzi went out of heat and she returned to her old self. She was still affectionate to Banzai. But now it was time for hunting again. Ed joined them.

Since the Pack was in newer territory now, they lived near lions too, but these were far more dangerous than Simba's old pride. They had managed to avoid this pride of lions for quite awhile now, but were starting to catch up with them. Shenzi knew that she and her clan needed to avoid them. She was never going to make an alliance with a lion ever again. Especially for the sake of her pups.

One day, as Shenzi was into her first month of pregnancy, she and her two male companions were out hunting some wildebeests. They caused a stampede but not at the order of an evil lion this time. They caught a young animal, nearly adult sized.

All three latched their jaws on and wouldn't let go until they brought it down together. They began to just eat it and it died. The hyena trio managed to get about 3 fourths of the carcass down into their bellies when three strange lionesses showed up at the kill.

Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed knew better than to stick around right away. They fled from it right away at first, but did come back. "Hey! That's our kill!" Banzai yelled at them.

"Get your own food!" Shenzi said.

"We already have our food. Go away Hyenas, or you're just asking for trouble." One lioness said.

The three of them began to harass the lionesses, playing tag somewhat with them. They would all charge and try to attack, but they all got away for the first few times before the all three lionesses gave chase to each hyena completely.

Shenzi was never caught, but her two male friends were caught. "What's it going to be Female Hyena? Are you going to leave us alone, or are your male friends going to pay the price?" They each had Banzai and Ed by the throats. Shenzi could do nothing.

"Let them go! We'll go away and find something else!" Shenzi pleaded.

"Good girl, but you were too late. A price has to be paid. Kill them!" The lead lioness said. She was a lot like Zira, Scar's mate, but she wasn't Zira.

"NO!" Shenzi screamed as the two lionesses that held her mate and friend killed them. Shenzi's eyes had been locked onto Banzai's as he was killed.

In minutes, the two males were dead and on the ground. "Now go Female, or you will be next!" The lead lioness said with a evil snarl.

Shenzi had no further hesitation about leaving them. She ran away, but didn't go far. She stayed hidden until the lionesses had eaten what was left on the carcass and left the bones behind. Then she came out of hiding again to smell and look at her male companions.

Their bodies were now cold and no life was in them. Tears filled Shenzi's eyes. She laid down and cried her eyes out for a long time. Her mate was dead! Now her unborn pups wouldn't have a father!

But she had grown up without knowing her father too. Her mom had told her when she was young that he had suffered the same fate. Killed by a lion. Shenzi really hated lions and lionesses now more than ever.

The three of them had grown up together as best friends, but now that life had come to an end. Shenzi was now on her own to live her life. As much as she would miss them, she couldn't give up on bringing a new leader into the Pack. She still had unborn pups to take of. They wouldn't make an appearance for some time yet, at least that's what it felt like to her.

**Reviews greatly welcomed. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is when Lion King and Dark Crystal start to cross over. **

**I own no rights to them. **

Shenzi was too sad to hunt anymore for several days following the death of her mate and best friend. But hunger was beginning to have an effect again. Now she would have to be even more careful hunting by herself.

She went hunting for whatever animal would be around first.

So many of the other females in her clan felt bad for her that she had lost her mate. They were all coming along well in their pregnancies. Soon there would be pups born. Shenzi was kind of way behind them all. They weren't even sure she was pregnant, as she was showing no signs or symptoms of discomfort like they had in the earlier stages.

Shenzi herself though, knew she was pregnant. She had felt some nausea, but she still had to eat. She didn't eat every day, so hunger would have a chance to kick in.

But now, as she was hunting for the next best animal to have to kill for food, and keeping an eye out for those evil lions, she saw none around at the moment, Shenzi all of a sudden came upon a weird device laying on the ground.

It was clear to look at. She didn't know it was a crystal shard that had magical powers. A magical being had come through and lost it.

Shenzi came up and smelled the fragment, then touched it with a paw. That had an instant effect. Shenzi gasped as she was grasped up in it's embrace of light as she mysteriously disappeared into thin air. The shard was now gone too as it was gone with her.

...

This was now Planet Thra.

When the female hyena opened her eyes again, she found she was lying in a swampy area. Nothing looked familiar. But there were trees, grass, and water that surrounded her. Something very weird had just happened to her. She looked down at the ground, and there was that magical crystal. (It is not part of _the_ Crystal.)

Shenzi just got up and ran for her life to get away from that thing. As she ran, she now knew that she was not at home. She was somewhere else entirely. She didn't normally like to talk to creatures that were not her own kind, but right now, she didn't have much of a choice. Shenzi was going to find out where she was.

As she came to a stop, she began asking other creatures where she was, but everything in this swamp was afraid of her and would run away or dash back down into the water or its den. Surely something would speak up. Everything seemed to be alive here, even rocks.

She did find this new place fascinating and scary. She just hoped this wouldn't stress her pups. She didn't want to lose them.

...

Far away from this swamp however, at a Castle in a dry, cracked valley, the Suns were shining today, but there was war within the Castle.

Nine vulture-like creatures were trying to find out who would be their next new leader or Emperor, since their most recent one had just died the night before. They were called Skeksis. Supposed to be the evil half of a creature split long ago.

SkekSil the Chamberlain and skekUng the General Garthim Master were the ones that were finally going to settle this matter once and for all. They drew on the Trial by Stone matter to resolve who was going to be the new Emperor.

The seven others looked on and cheered. Most were cheering for General. But a few cheered for Chamberlain.

Both of them picked up the swords once the Pod slaves had pulled the stone and swords up from below the floor. They screamed their challenges and clashed their swords together. Now the dual was on.

The two Skeksis circled around the black shaped rock they were going to try to shatter, hissing and growling at each other. They each ended up on the opposite side of which they started on. Their swords were heavy too, so it didn't make it any easier.

The General growled and waved his sword over to his opponent's chest. "You whimpering worm!"

The Chamberlain bared his teeth and just looked at him before giving off his whimper. It was annoying to everyone. The others that were most loyal to General would be glad to see him go if he lost. Especially General.

General then made the first strike. The sword hitting the stone made a loud and strong CLANG and a bright flash of light. All the Skeksis cheered for it, and it had been a surprise to all.

Chamberlain didn't like what he had seen and now hearing. He had to beat that. So now it was his turn. He put his own sword to the stone and would make sure to hit his mark. He brought his weapon away from the stone, and just like General had done, he screamed and hit the stone, hoping to shatter it to pieces.

The stone shook a bit, but not nearly as much as when his enemy had hit it. And the light flash wasn't as bright either.

General was proud of that. Now he had another shot at it. He was going to shatter that stone! He was going to make sure that skekSil lost.

Chamberlain was now looking on, worried. He knew the General was strong. With that he knew his answer when he swung the sword the second time.

The rock shattered on impact in half! Chamberlain was so shocked he dropped his sword and knew that he had lost. Now if he could just sneak out before getting caught.

"Me! The new Emperor!" General said proudly.

But skekZok the High Priest, didn't let Chamberlain's failure go unnoticed. "Now, by the law, he must pay!"

Chamberlain was now scared for his life. He began whining and the others were now backing him to the wall, where they stripped him of his robes and his position. He screamed with what his lungs gave him, but they didn't stop until he was completely naked and General told them to stop. He was now officially banished.

Chamberlain stood leaning against the wall, panting hard. He looked over at the others, who had now turned their backs on him. He remained there until he could catch his breath. He had almost thought that they were going to end up killing him. But he would rather take the banishment then if it meant he was going to live.

"I am Emperor!" General cried out over the whole room and the others all bowed to him. Even the High Priest. He was the tallest.

Chamberlain whined in his wheedling voice once he had caught his breath, picked up some of the clothes on the floor of what he could carry in his hands and began to walk off to get dressed before he would leave the Castle. He stopped when he heard a sound.

The other Skeksis all perked up at the sound. "The Crystal! The Crystal calls. To the Crystal Chamber." General commanded. They all moved out.

Chamberlain moved to quickly dress himself in what he could as quick as he could. He followed to a different and darkened corner of the Chamber. He had to see too what all the racket was about.

There, in the Crystal, was a strange new creature, grayish is color, had spots, had pointed ears, and walked on four legs. It had a mane and sloping back. It's tail was thick and bushy. It had a black nose and long muzzle. A Crystal Bat had spotted it.

"I've never seen a creature like that before in all the time I have lived here." High Priest said.

"Neither have I. I don't think it's of any threat." General said. Since it was daylight out, they had been able to see the new creature perfectly from the image. It was of no concern to them. Since none of them ever really left the Castle anyway, they didn't even know what all the creatures were out there anyway. So now a new one had popped up, big deal. As long as it was no threat to them.

The Skeksis did not send the Garthim after the new creature. They just went about their business. They left and went back to the Council Chamber. All but Chamberlain. He had hidden himself as they walked out, but then he walked over to the Crystal afterwards and took a good look of where this thing could be.

He noticed the swamp area. It was possible that it could over be closer to the Keeper of Secrets' place. He would head that way in search of this creature. Perhaps it could prove useful. He left the Castle without worrying anything was going to bother him.

**The fight was based off the Dark Crystal's movie scene. **

**Reviews welcome, flames are not. Love to hear from ya. **


	3. Chapter 3

Shenzi had spent a long day here in this new place. Nothing would talk to her. Everything was afraid. And she had smelt many things too. Nothing she was familiar with. She would drink the water when she could. She had forgotten about her hunger when she had come here. She was too concerned for her own safety to think about food right now.

Now her traveling and exploring was beginning to wear her out. The pregnancy was also to blame for that too. She got tired easily. Nightfall was coming. As much as this new place enthralled her, she did need some rest.

She soon found a nice dry place in some rocks. Shenzi missed home and her mate, but she was so tired that she went directly to sleep for the night.

...

Chamberlain walked so slow that it took him all night to reach the area. It was after sunrise, he had walked a long way and had to refresh himself as well, that he got up and began looking for the new creature's trail.

He would normally get ready for his morning meal around this time, but he was not exactly the best hunter. His stomach growled at him but there was little he could do about it. He did get a drink though. The water he felt hit his belly. It was good and it kept his mouth and throat from drying out. Now he had to be on his way. He had to find it.

...

It was still dark in the rock crevice where Shenzi had chosen to crash for the night. Being pregnant, she slept longer now. It wasn't until late morning that she finally awoke to some light poking in.

...  
>Chamberlain had finally picked up on Shenzi's trail. She had been close to Aughra's place, but was not going there evidently. He followed her tracks through the mud and dry grounds of the swamp to where she had crashed last night. He hadn't been too far from finding her last night, but he needed daylight to assist him with finding the trail again.<p>

...

Shenzi yawned and got up to stretch her body. It was now a new day to go out and explore more of this new land. She was thinking of claiming it as her own. Especially if she couldn't get back, then she would just have to make the most of it. She started to step out of the rocks when she was greeted by a tall creature standing just outside. She jumped back in surprise.

"Whoa!" Shenzi cried out and shrank back on her haunches.

The strange creature let out a "Hmmm," and smiled at her.

Shenzi looked at this creature intently. He did resemble a vulture to her, but didn't have wings. Hands in place of wings. It wore tattered rags for clothes. It had spikes and small arms up on its back and shoulders. But it's sly smile reminded her of her own smiling look. Finally, she asked, "Who and what are you?"

'Great. It can talk.' Chamberlain said in his own mind. "I am Skeksis. Banished from my Castle home after losing to the new Emperor. And what are you? Never seen anything like you before."

"I'm a hyena. I have been trying to talk to many of the strange creatures that live around here, but none have spoken to me yet." Shenzi said. "What's your name, Skeksis?"

"SkekSil is my main name, but most call me by my job title: Chamberlain." The Skeksis said. He noticed her voice had a soft gentle tone, but it had a sly sound in it too.

Shenzi did find herself somewhat drawn to this vulture creature's-Skeksis' voice. "Shenzi. Leader of my Pack. Though I have no idea where I am. I am alone here as far as I know." She explained.

Chamberlain was glad she was alone. No others could influence her whether he was good or bad. But to answer her question. "You are in the swamp on Thra." He said.

"Thra?" Shenzi cocked her head.

"Our planet." He said.

"What?!" She shouted. Shenzi got up and charged past him. Chamberlain was shocked at how fast she was. He didn't have time to grab her.

Shenzi didn't go far as she didn't want to stray far from the only person who had spoken to her so far while she had been here. She stopped just past the rock she just come around. She stared at the water hole. She was on a different planet!

Chamberlain walked as fast as his legs could carry him around the rock and saw her. His smile was gone from his own face, more of showing concern now.

Shenzi heard his footsteps and cocked her left ear back at the sound. Then she turned her head to him.

"The way you screamed like that, you are saying that you are not from here?" Chamberlain asked.

"Yes. I'm not a big smart genius hyena or anything, but I do know that my planet's name is Earth." She said.

He now smiled to himself again. This could come in handy. She didn't know his kind's ways. She could help him get his place back in the Castle if she proved useful. Maybe the Crystal could send her home.

He came over to her slowly to not scare her. She was still eying him warily. New creatures had to be watched carefully.

"You are first creature or person to talk to me here. Tell me of your world." She said.

"Well," he began. Chamberlain explained as much as he knew how about Thra and a bit about his kind. Shenzi did the same in return. They spent most of the day doing so that they didn't go anywhere. She had told him of her mate being killed, but she never did mention that she was pregnant. She wanted to make sure he was completely trustworthy first.

Shenzi came over to him and smelled around him. She was still keeping her distance right now. His scent was new, but it was now in her memory.

Soon it was the end of the day, and both had just spent the day talking of the other's world and their kind. Both were now tired. Chamberlain did complain of being hungry. "I sure could go for something to eat right now."

"Me too." Shenzi said. She watched as the Skeksis laid down to go to sleep. She had assured him that she wouldn't hurt him and he wouldn't hurt her.

For what he had done for her so far, and with both being hungry, she laid down beside him until he was asleep, but then, she got up and went hunting. She would remember to come back here.

Shenzi looked all through the night until she soon found some animals that were big and tall. Some Land-striders! Skeksis loved these creatures for food. It wasn't as tall as a giraffe, but they were the biggest things so far she had seen. Chamberlain had mentioned that they gave hard kicking blows.

She looked through the herd and did see some babies that were only half grown. Now the hunt began. She snarled and snapped and scared them into a run. She instantly went for the baby ones. She ran after them and easily caught up with them.

She grabbed a hold of the hind left leg and the baby cried out in pain for his mom. The baby stopped. Shenzi had used her jaw pressure to latch on and now there was a snap heard. The baby's leg broke. Then she saw the mother coming back to kill her to protect her baby.

Shenzi let go and then the baby went down instantly. She ran around the mother trying to protect her baby, but there was nothing she could do for it now. Shenzi stayed nearby. She already had some blood on her mouth.

The mother land-strider encouraged her baby to stand up, but it couldn't. The leg was in an awkward position. Soon the mother had no choice but to leave. Then Shenzi came back in. But she had helped to chase the mother off too.

She came over and killed the baby. She now knew what Chamberlain meant that this meat was great. She tucked into it and ate quite a bit of it. But as the first sun was nearly ready to come up was when Shenzi was full of food for herself.

She also remembered that Chamberlain had been hungry too. She cracked bones with her jaws on the hind leg that was underneath the carcass, and she pulled the thigh from it, as it had plenty of flesh to consume. She carried it in her mouth as she was now on her way back to the sleeping Skeksis. At least he had been when she had left.

...

All during the night, Chamberlain had whimpered in his sleep because he had been so hungry. Maybe slightly cold too.

Sunrise soon came and the light awoke him. He yawned and remembered the day before that he had caught up with the hyena. He looked over on his left side to see if she was there. That was where he had seen her lay down, but she wasn't there!

That aggravated him. She had made it clear to him obviously that she was going to stay close to him since she didn't know this place herself. But now this morning she was gone. He got up. Maybe she was just waiting for him. He looked around the rocks to see if she was by the water hole, but she wasn't.

"Seems she didn't trust me after all. Now I have to track her down again." He was getting angry. He looked for her tracks. Chamberlain saw that her tracks were leading the opposite direction now. She had left during the night when he had fallen asleep.

...

Shenzi was a little distance away trying to bring him back some food. She had blood on her face, chest, and front legs from the fight. Of course, none of it was hers. She had traveled quite the distance that night looking for a good sized animal to kill for herself, her unborn pups, and a new friend. So it was going to take a little longer to get back to him.


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next 3 days, both Shenzi and Chamberlain were still at Aughra's home. Shenzi had to go out about 3 times a day to kill prey for her friend. And she also killed for herself too. Aughra wasn't too pleased really with having to share her quarters with two meat eaters. She had found out that even Shenzi was a killer. But in her case, only for food for herself and Chamberlain. To the outside visible eye anyway.

...

On the 8th day after coming here, Aughra said enough was enough. Chamberlain needed to walk again so he could leave. His friend too. He was more than ready to leave this place. So was Shenzi.

He tried using the wall and the strength of Shenzi's shoulders to help himself stand up again. He had also been given herbs to help with pain and recovery. Aughra gave him a cane to help too if needed.

Chamberlain's leg was still in great agony, but he was now on his feet again. He whined as he limped so slowly. Maybe if he was taken back home, the Scientist could help him some more. He needed a Skeksis doctor.

But in the end, though they were both leaving together, Chamberlain was not going to walk that far with that injured leg. The wounds were so severe that the stitches still needed to be in for awhile. Aughra changed the bandages one more time before Shenzi was tied up in the harness again and she pulled him along to the outdoors and on to the Castle. As fast as she could move, Chamberlain knew they could be there real soon.

...

He was awake the whole way there. He had gotten plenty of rest for the past 8 days. Chamberlain had been surprised when Aughra had strapped Shenzi into a vine harness to pull him along. She only went in the directions she was told to go.

They arrived back at the Castle before the first sun even set. "Now what, Chamberlain?" Shenzi asked.

They were still a distance away. "We wait for night. They all sleep at night. Then we sneak in." He said.

"Very well, so we pace ourselves." Shenzi said. He gave her a pat on the shoulder. She was on his left. They rested some more before total darkness engulfed the landscape.

...

Soon, they awoke again. Chamberlain woke up Shenzi and she began pulling him toward the entrance. As they got closer, SkekSil knew he had to stand up to be let in. He was in control of the Garthim.

He used his cane and Shenzi to stand up and walk to the entrance. He put up his hand. "Let us through Garthim," and they did. Shenzi was scared though of those big dark brown beetles. She pulled him in through the entrance and a little ways further, but then stopped. "I can't go further. I'm sorry." Shenzi said.

"Why? We are here." He said.

"Yes. You are home, but not me. Those big dark beetles scare me." She said in a nervous tone. She was so scared that the hackles on her back and neck were beginning to raise. Her tail was in between her hind legs.

Chamberlain had never seen her do this before. "Very well. I go alone then." He said as he undid her from the harness. "Thanks for helping me."

She smiled but remained nervous. He pulled himself up. "Now I try to go to my room to rest. If want to come, welcome." Chamberlain proclaimed to her.

"Thanks, but I think not. Take care of yourself. Be careful when walking right now." Shenzi said, and began to sneak back to a tunnel back behind them that led to the underground or sewers of the Castle. He didn't force her to come. She had done enough for him already.

Now Chamberlain was on his own. He slowly made his way through the Castle to find his room. It had appeared now that all the others had gone to bed, which was what he was hoping for, to not get discovered by them until morning anyway.

Shenzi came back out and secretly followed him. She stayed alongside the walls and making sure she was silent.

As Chamberlain was nearing his bed chamber, there was one miscalculation. The High Priest was still up right now on this night. He came around the corner and he saw another Skeksis that was out of bed. He saw a cane held by his fellow Skeksis and thought it was the Scientist, but he had a glowing eye. This one didn't.

"SkekZok!" Chamberlain shrieked.

The High Priest was shocked when he heard his name and the voice of the other Skeksis. "Chamberlain! What are you doing here?! You were banished and not to be here!"

His shouting had woken some nearby other Skeksis. The ones closest were the General, the Gourmand, the Scientist, and the Historian. They all rushed out to the racket. "What is the meaning of this noise? We are trying to sleep." General inquired.

"The Chamberlain is back." High Priest said and pointed.

All 4 looked and there was Chamberlain. He smiled slyly and whimpered. He began backing up, knowing what could possibly happen to him. His leg still crippled him. It still throbbed too. It was in no shape for running.

The others glared at him and began advancing on him. "I just want to go to my room." skekSil said. "Please."

"You were banished. You are to get out on your own, or we will force you. What's it going to be Chamberlain?" General asked.

"I can't choose either. I need some rest. That's all. I can't travel right now."

"Well then we will choose for you! Grab him!" General ordered. The High Priest and Scientist were going to grab the wounded Chamberlain. He dropped his cane and he lost his footing as his sore leg gave out on him. He screamed in pain.

Shenzi was watching the drama unfold and didn't like what she was seeing. They were going to kill him if she didn't step in. This was making her angry.

...

Chamberlain was on the floor panting when the Scientist and High Priest grabbed his arms. He cried out as he was pulled to his feet. They tried to move him back to the entrance way to force him back out, and now that he had balance, he hopped on one leg.

On their way to the entrance, a strange creature appeared in front of them. "What's this?" High Priest demanded.

"Shenzi!" Chamberlain cried for her.

Shenzi could hear the scared panic in Chamberlain's voice.

"Let him go." Shenzi demanded herself. She made her voice sound threatening as possible.

"Who are you?" General asked.

"I said let him go!" She spoke up.

"Oh go away, Animal." The Scientist said.

"I will say for the last time, let him go!"

"And what will you do if we don't?" The Historian mocked her.

"It could be a broken arm or leg." Shenzi said.

"She doesn't look like she could." Gourmand said.

"You wanna bet?" Shenzi asked in a mock voice too.

"I'll get rid of her." The High Priest said and went toward her. "Get out of here!" He shouted.

"Not without him." Shenzi said.

Chamberlain was still trying to balance on one leg, but now he had lost his footing again. "Chamberlain, you clumsy fool!" General told him angrily. "Get up!"

"Leave him alone!" The hyena shouted back. She was standing her ground and not backing off. Chamberlain had locked eyes with her. The High Priest was now upon her.

"I said get out of here!" He said and drew his knife. Since she wasn't moving, he tried to stab her real fast, but then she dodged his attack. She jumped to his left. She laughed at his expense.

He tried again and again. She kept on jumping away. Now the other Skeksis were crowding her and even the others were awake now and joining on getting her crowded into a corner, Chamberlain forgotten. He used her distraction to get to his feet and to try to get to his room.

Soon, the Garthim were called on and now Shenzi was pushed into a corner. But she dodged their claws and got back to the Skeksis masters. "I'm not going to go anywhere." She said. Her ears could pick up on them. She knew when to move.

"Hold Garthim! She wants us to finish her off. Do it!" General, as the new Emperor, demanded. The High Priest was ready.

Now that she was in a corner, and cornered. There was one other option. "Don't come any closer." She said.

They still were advancing. Chamberlain was watching from afar. Just like the way he had become when he had lost the battle in the Trial by Stone. He was afraid he was going to lose her. Then he heard a growling noise. It wasn't his stomach or one of the other Skeksis.

The High Priest was in front. His knife was drawn, ready to kill, but now, Shenzi's eyes were locked on his arm with the knife in it. He tried to swipe at her, and she now had her teeth bared and her jaws were snapping out of defense. Chamberlain watched.

When he tried again, Shenzi had now clamped on to the High Priest's left arm. He cried out in pain, and Shenzi was shaking his arm and pulling, clamping her jaws down. There was a snap heard, and he was on the ground. He was the tallest of the Skeksis, and here Shenzi was, a smaller creature, and she had him pinned to the ground. He had let go of the knife a while ago.

Now she was just standing there with his arm in her mouth. She glared into the Skeksis' blue eyes, which had fear in them. She gave one final glare into his and let go. The other Skeksis had given them space. They didn't want to be attacked.

She made her way over to Chamberlain.

"Chamberlain, how dare you bring her in here! Get out!" The Emperor ordered.

"He can't. He is in no condition to travel. He came home because of that. I helped him to get here." Shenzi said. She saw that the High Priest was now up and glaring at her with a vengeance in his eyes. He was holding his left wrist, which was now broken.

...

In the Valley, urZah the Ritual Guardian Mystic, had a broken arm too.

...

"What do you mean he can't travel?" The Ornamentalist asked.

"Show them." She said.

Chamberlain, leaning on the cane with his left hand, reached down with his right hand, and pulled up the clothing to reveal the huge bandage dressings. "I'm wounded and my leg needs to heal. Badly chewed by an animal. Chewed to pieces. Stitches need to heal." He said.

"No doubt she did it!" The Slave Master said.

"She did not do it! Another one. She saved my life from that animal! She has a wound on one of her front legs to prove it!" Chamberlain back talked to him. "She and Aughra saved my life!"

Now they all were shocked.

"Let's go to your room now, Chamberlain." Shenzi said.

He turned and now they both went to his room. The others followed with the exception of High Priest and Scientist. They went to his lab to fix the High Priest's arm.

...

In his room, Chamberlain sat down first. Shenzi supervised. Then he put his left leg up and then he pulled himself up further into his bed with his arms and good leg.

Shenzi now jumped up onto the bed. She grabbed his blankets and pulled them down for him. "Thanks."

She smiled and bowed her head. He pulled himself up into the space and then she pulled the blankets up over him. He settled into his bed to rest. Shenzi now laid down beside him. The others had watched with interest.

Both Chamberlain and Shenzi glared at the other Skeksis, but they glared back at her more than him. She just about bared her teeth at them too. Her growl was simple. It meant 'keep away or I will hurt you too.'

Chamberlain soon dozed off. Shenzi stayed awake until all the others had left. She had gone and closed his door for the privacy. There was a lock also. So now it was locked and they both could rest in peace for the time being. Shenzi slept next to Chamberlain on his bed and it sure was comfortable.

The wounded Skeksis slept his greatest for the first time in many days. He was back in his own bed. Now he had a real friend in this Castle.


	5. Chapter 5

Shenzi soon reached the top. It was only midday now. It was getting hot out. She did need a place to rest. Her pregnancy, despite the early stage, still did make her all the more tired.

But all of a sudden, some vines were moving, and she was lifted off the ground. Shenzi yelped in surprise. Then an eye appeared out of nowhere.

"What is this?" A voice said. It was female.

"I am a hyena, not native to your world. Do you know Aughra, Ma'am?" Shenzi asked.

The eye now disappeared and reappeared on the not so most lovely looking face. 'An ugly face,' Shenzi said in her own mind. Scary too, and she had thought Chamberlain had been slightly scary enough surprising her in the wilderness. But she had identified with him more since his face resembled a vulture's from back home in Africa. This woman, not at all. Except maybe the horns on her head, that could have belonged to an antelope back home too of some kind.

"What do you want with Aughra, Hyena?" She said.

"My name is Shenzi. I am seeking her on the behalf of my friend, who needs some help real bad." Shenzi said. "He's hurt."

"Who is your friend and where are they? Are they with you?" Aughra asked. Shenzi didn't know she was Aughra yet.

"His name is skekSil the Chamberlain. That's what he told me his whole name was."

"Ahh! One of the Skeksis."

"You know him?" Shenzi asked.

"Of course I know of him. Known of the Skeksis for well over 600 trine now since the last Great Conjunction. Mean, tyrants they are."

"Take that back! Chamberlain is trying to help me. He got hurt in the process. He needs help or he could die!" Shenzi shouted at her.

"Chamberlain deceiving you, he is. He is sly. Tries to gain power for himself among other Skeksis. Wants to be Emperor."

"He told me he was banished for losing to be Emperor. Are you going to tell me where Aughra is or not? He needs help."

"I am Aughra." The scary woman now said. "Now I see, but he is still deceiving you. He will use you just to gain his position back." Aughra was trying to warn her.

"Can you put me down now? Right now, he is too injured to do anything of the sort, Aughra. He can't even walk!" Shenzi said.

"Can't walk?" She asked. Then she spoke to the vines to put the hyena down.

"I was hunting the night before last for the both of us, and while I was gone, he found I was gone, he tried to find me, and he ran into a nasty animal that attacked him and tore one of his legs to pieces. It's so bad, he can't walk now." Shenzi explained. "I attacked and killed that animal, though it did hurt me too." She held out her leg.

Aughra recognized Skeksis clothing was serving as a bandage for a wound. She believed her. "Believe you Hyena. First, Aughra needs medicine and then we go. Is he nearby?"

"Kind of a distance down the hill. He's in a rock crevice area that I choose to stay in for a short time." Shenzi said. "Do I wait out here, or go in with you?"

"Come with me." The woman said. She turned and told her vines to rise up and let them in. Shenzi saw that as very weird as the vines and trees couldn't do that back home, but then she remembered this wasn't her own home. But she followed the old woman.

Inside, Shenzi was shocked and amazed at the strange round objects floating in circles in the room. They did frighten her a bit, so she stayed near the entrance. She would wait, but she just hoped Chamberlain was okay.

Aughra gathered medical supplies. She then came over to Shenzi. "Let me see your leg."

She didn't entirely trust her, but she let her anyway. Aughra undid the clothing bandage. "Small graze. Not bad. Will heal. I put some healing herbs on it and put new cover on it."

To her, Aughra talked a lot like a little kid learning how to talk. But she said nothing.

Aughra cleaned the wound out with water first, to clean out debris. Shenzi whined in pain, but controlled her urge to bite. Then she put some healing herbs and moss over the wound. Next came a new bandage. She wrapped it around her leg and secured it.

Her wound stung and throbbed, but it was now treated.

"Now we go to Skeksis." Aughra said. She carried her medical supplies with her. "We go the non-cliff way."

Shenzi was more than happy for that. Once they got to the bottom of the hill, Shenzi sought out her own scent to go that way, leading the slow old woman behind her. She limped on the sore leg, but she still used it. If it had been a hind leg, she would be holding it up off the ground.

Aughra got tired easily carrying all these supplies. Herbs, bandages, healing moss, needle, thread for stitches. From the way that Shenzi had said it, Aughra was sure Chamberlain was going to need some stitches. But she would need Shenzi's help in holding the wounded Skeksis down. She knew the Skeksis didn't always like to cooperate.

At one point, when Aughra needed another break from carrying the supplies, she sat down on a rock to rest. That was when Shenzi had had enough. She came over and picked up the supplies herself in her mouth. "Hey! Those Aughra's supplies!" Aughra said real loud.

Shenzi put the supplies down. "I'll carry them for awhile. That way you won't get so tired." She was getting impatient with all the stopping. She sat down and waited for the old woman to catch her breath. Then when she was ready, Shenzi picked up the supplies again and off they went. Shenzi wanted so much to run back to Chamberlain, but Aughra wouldn't be able to keep up. Too many slow creatures on this planet.

Aughra was also marveling at how this strange 'hyena' could care so much for a Skeksis.

It was quite the journey for Aughra and an injured Shenzi, but they soon arrived back at the chosen den site. Shenzi put the supplies down and went over to check on Chamberlain.

He was still sleeping. Unless he had woken earlier and gone back to sleep. He was out in the hot sunlight. "We should move him to shade. It's too hot out here like this for him." Shenzi said.

"Skeksis not easy to move." Aughra said. She now had picked up her supplies and come over. "He have to move himself."

Shenzi licked his face to see if she could wake him. Chamberlain didn't stir. His breathing was heavy and labored. He was whining in his sleep.

Aughra did know Chamberlain as the whimpering one. She got closer and saw that he was indeed uncomfortable, but now she was looking at his legs. His right leg was just covered in his clothing for bandages and noticed the blood soaked stains. It had been bad alright.

"Since he's not awake, this makes much easier to treat wounds. Any water nearby?" Aughra asked.

"Yes. Just around the corner." Shenzi said. She sat down by Chamberlain's side and looked sadly at him.

Aughra had brought a dish along to collect water in if needed. She went and got some. Then came back and began unwrapping the clothes from on the Skeksis' injured leg. When she had removed it all, she gasped and felt like she was going to hurl! She didn't know it was going to be THAT BAD!

Chamberlain's leg was just SHREDS below the knee to the ankle!

"I said he was hurt bad and couldn't walk." Shenzi said. "He walked last night, but this morning he couldn't."

The blood had stopped for now, but Aughra now looked at his leg and his uncomfortable face. "He's in shock, Shenzi. He is fighting infection."

"Infection?! Was that animal's bite poisonous?" She asked, worried.

"What animal look like?"

"Hold on." Shenzi said and left. She ran fast to the spot. Picked up the animal and carried it back. It was stinking now. But that didn't bother her any. She was used to old carnage stinking back home.

When she got it back and dropped it, Aughra looked at it. She examined the teeth and body. The teeth did show blood in its mouth. "Animal is male, and was defending home from him. He not get message to move on. So he attacked Skeksis." Aughra explained.

"I don't care. Can you help him or not?" Shenzi was most impatient.

"Yes. Animal's bite not poisonous." Aughra said. She had gone up to Chamberlain's head while Shenzi had been gone. He had a high fever. She had put a wetted cloth on his head to help cool him down. She had even poured water over his clothes to keep his body temperature down. He was still unconscious.

She had begun to clean the wounds. She unfortunately had to open the wounds up again to sew them up. She took it little by little. It took a long time.

It was evening just as Aughra had finished sewing the last stitch in. Now she applied herbs to the stitches, and bandaged them anew. When she was done, his whole leg was just covered in a bandage from below his knee to down nearly to the edge of his toes on his right leg and foot. His hands were wrapped up too.

Shenzi had watched everything. Chamberlain had remained out the whole time. She walked up to him again and licked his face. No response. Just more whimpering.

Aughra watched. She did care for this wounded Skeksis.

Shenzi's ears went down sadly. Tears welled up. She hoped he wasn't going to die. She laid down next to him, but this time, she laid her neck on top of his.

Aughra couldn't do much to mend a broken heart. But she had to say it. "He is strong, but with blood loss, he may not make it. Sorry."

Shenzi raised her head. "Until he is dead, there is always hope." Then she laid her head back down.

The old scary looking woman stayed through the night. She would check Chamberlain in the morning. The bandages would need changing again anyway.

The worried hyena slept close to the Skeksis all night again. He never stirred from waking up.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Aughra checked his wounds, which were still closed and she put new mosses and bandages on. Chamberlain was still alive.

Aughra saw it was possible to get him back to her place, but if he couldn't walk, she and Shenzi would have to drag him there on something flat. Or in something. She asked Shenzi to go look around many water holes to see if she could find something flat to put him in.

Shenzi found a curved shell near a flowing stream. It looked like a Garthim shell. She pulled it back to the den. Aughra had sent her since she was younger and could move faster.

"Will this thing work?" Shenzi asked as she pulled it up.

Aughra saw it was a Garthim shell. "It will do Shenzi." She said. Shenzi smiled.

Now came the hard part of getting the unconscious Chamberlain into the shell for transport.

Aughra advised that they bring it over and behind him, and gently roll him into it. By getting the edge of the shell under him, it would be a bit easier.

The shell was dragged over and put under Chamberlain's back well enough. Shenzi stood on her hind legs to hold the shell in place, while Aughra went around front and began to push on him carefully. Shenzi began pushing upwards to accommodate his body.

When he was finally in, he was on his back. Aughra put some cloth behind his head for a pillow. She now had a great idea. She went to gather up vines and such from trees. Shenzi watched her as she came over to her.

"Shenzi, need to make harness so shell with skekSil to be pulled by you. Faster way of getting him back." Aughra explained.

The hyena got the picture. She let the woman start tying the vines around her lower neck around her chest and shoulders. Soon a harness was complete. There were side vines too. Now Aughra just needed some holes to tie them to on the shell.

Aughra found a small sharp rock and went and jammed holes in the shell. Then she tied the vines' harness to the shell. The supplies were all put in the shell too, so neither female would be carrying it and getting tired of it.

Aughra was now leading the way back to her home, and Shenzi was right behind her, pulling a Garthim shell with an injured and unconscious Chamberlain and medical supplies in it. Shenzi put all her strength into it. He was kind of heavy, but she had power in her head, neck, and shoulders. If her neck could withstand the twists and turns on the African plains of her prey, she could handle this too.

...

It took all day to get back to Aughra's home. The shell was dragged into her Observatory. It was put well away from the moving planets and moons moving in the room. Shenzi was untied from her harness. She didn't dare leave Chamberlain's side. He stayed in the shell. The supplies were removed. A couple of blankets were brought forth and put in the shell to cover Chamberlain up.

There were some herbs that Chamberlain could take to help with his fever and infection, but he had to wake up first. A wet cloth was still kept on his forehead to help calm his fever.

...

In the Valley of the Mystics, Chamberlain's counterpart, Chanter, was hurt and sick with the same thing. The Healer was trying to do what he could for him. His wounds had been sewn up good and covered in its own bandages to prevent further infection to the wounds.

...

Aughra offered Shenzi some food, but she downright refused. The old woman let her be. She wasn't leaving him for nothing until he was well. She licked him every now and again. She laid or sat by the shell all the time. She rested herself as well while her own leg healed too.

Within 3 days of the fight, Shenzi's leg was well enough that it was scabbed over and nothing else was needed as long as she left it alone.

After 4 days, Chamberlain finally began to come around. It was nighttime right now. It was dark wherever he was, but he did hear breathing too. He raised himself a little and noticed the form of Shenzi on the floor next to him and whatever he was lying in. But he also noticed that he was not in the same place. He would wait until morning.

...

Chamberlain awoke as soon as light hit him in the face in the new morning. He groaned. He tried to raise himself up. He was able to sit up, but when he tried to move his right leg, it screamed at him. "OW!" He cried out and grabbed at his leg. He removed the blankets and saw the bandages. The cloth had also fallen from off his forehead too.

Shenzi was now stirring too at the sound of her friend's voice. She raised her head. "Chamberlain? You're awake!" She smiled at him. He turned his head to her.

"It hurts!" He screamed.

"I know it does. And it will for awhile." Shenzi said, getting up and coming over to him. "At least you fought the fever and infection in your body. You should be just fine in time."

"Where are we?" Chamberlain asked.

"In Aughra's home, skekSil." Aughra answered. She was not pleased to see him as he was a Skeksis, but he had needed treatment. Nor was he happy to see her.

"You asked for help, and I got her." Shenzi said. "In helping each other, we brought you here until you can get some strength back. She has some medicine for you to help finish fighting infection. It would also be safer here for you to be than out there."

Chamberlain couldn't argue with that. He let Aughra give him some medical herbs to help with pain and help him fight some more against his infection. But then it was time to change the bandages. "No!" He snapped at Aughra. She had them ready.

"Not touch me!" The Skeksis growled.

"Your wound covers need changing skekSil. Or wounds become real bad without changing." Aughra said.

"Still not touching me!" Chamberlain was protective of his leg wounds.

"Chamberlain, please cooperate. I don't want to lose you like I did my mate." Shenzi begged at him.

Chamberlain saw the sadness in her eyes and couldn't believe she had just said that and to _him_. "Alright. I do it for you Shenzi." He said.

She smiled. "Now lay back down."

Chamberlain complied. Shenzi came over and stood by the shell. Aughra now came over to change the dressings much to Chamberlain's dismay and discomfort. He began whimpering in pain.

"Now hold still and let her do the job." Shenzi said.

"It hurts!" He said. "OW!" He screamed when his sore leg was now touched. His breathing increased to a heavy panting.

Shenzi began moaning to him in a mother hyena way. Chamberlain glanced at her. It got his attention and stopped his whining. She now put a paw on his right hand. It was wrapped too he had seen, but it wasn't as sore. He now saw the spot on her leg. There was a scratch there now, but he had recognized it as the wound that she had gotten from the animal.

"You make same sounds as me?" He asked.

She giggled. "Not exactly. These are just some groans and moans that my kind use when trying to call or calm a baby of ours. Our real loud calls that even lions really hate is the sound we make when we start laughing real hard."

That had distracted Chamberlain long enough for Aughra to secure a first new dressing. Then he winced in pain. He bared his teeth and closed his eyes. It had even made his stomach flinch. "Enough Aughra!" He cried out.

"It all needs to be dressed. You have stitches in your leg. They need to be protected Chamberlain." Shenzi tried to calm him down.

But he was already trying to get her away from his leg. But Shenzi couldn't let him do it. She growled and bared her teeth to get his attention.

The Skeksis turned. Now he stopped. Even Aughra was shocked to see her do that. The instant he stopped, she calmed down. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to do that, but it was the only other way to get your attention then." Shenzi said. "Now just let her finish."

Chamberlain knew he had no choice now. A second dressing finished and it was now done for the day. He wanted so much to stand up. But he was pushed back down again. "I want up."

"No. You could tear the stitches out. Stay down." Shenzi said. "Get some more rest. I'm here if you need me." She went over and laid down a little further away this time, but did watch him.

He hated this injury. Now he couldn't even get up. Chamberlain rolled to his left side and tried to sleep. He was gentle with his leg. He was a little mad at her right now for nearly trying to threaten him.

Shenzi had had no intention of biting him at all, just to get his attention when she had bared her teeth at him to let Aughra finish dressing his injuries.

Chamberlain fell asleep.

Shenzi was now very hungry again, and while her friend was sleeping, she said she needed some air and Aughra let her leave. She needed in truth to hunt. Maybe coming back with some food would make him happy. He hadn't eaten within the same time script as her. Four days.

She traveled a short distance and caught many animals for herself. She had much to eat since she was eating for at least two stomachs, maybe three. Then she caught a good sized animal for Chamberlain. It was a grayish creature that resembled a kind of fish. It was small, but it would do for her to carry it back. She cleaned the blood off herself first before making her way back.

...

Chamberlain awoke a little bit later to his stomach growling loudly. He moaned. Now that he was awake again, he was ready to eat again. How long had he been out anyway? He rolled to his back and sat up. He saw that Shenzi was gone. "Where is Shenzi?"

"Out skekSil. She said she needed some air. Not blame her. She has been sitting in here for last 4 days watching you every minute, waiting for you to wake up. She has not eaten at all, no matter what I offered her. She has been gone awhile. She probably mad at you." Aughra said.

His mood had softened again. He hoped he had not upset her that she wasn't coming back. She had shown most courtesy and appreciation to him more than anyone else had in his life. She might not have been his species, but to him, she was likeable.

Then his stomach growled again. Now even Aughra heard it. He rubbed at it. "Hungry Skeksis?" He heard her say.

"Yes. Very." skekSil said. "Not eat for many days because of fever."

"I know." Aughra said.

...

At the Castle, Chamberlain's fellow Skeksis were so glad to have Chamberlain out of their lives. General especially. He had always annoyed him the most. They were having all 3 meals a day with some small snacks in between meals. They were eating better than Chamberlain indefinitely at the moment.

...

Aughra knew she had nothing to feed the hungry Skeksis. She didn't want to kill anything to feed him. But then, her prayers for food for him were answered when Shenzi came back inside. She groaned in the way she had before. It got Chamberlain's attention. He turned.

Shenzi trotted up to him proudly and she waited until he held his hands up to take the prize in her mouth. She released it. "Hope you like that thing. It wasn't easy to catch." She said.

Chamberlain was happy that she had hunted again for him. Being hurt, he couldn't even try. Then he noticed her fur. It was all wet. Evidently, she had been swimming or just got wet to catch this fish thing for him. Now she had gone away from him and settled down to rest. She went to sleep shortly after while he was now munching on the fish.

The fish would stop his stomach growling for a little while. Then he went back to sleeping again. His fever was broken and all, but he still needed lots of rest.


	7. Chapter 7

Over the next 3 days, both Shenzi and Chamberlain were still at Aughra's home. Shenzi had to go out about 3 times a day to kill prey for her friend. And she also killed for herself too. Aughra wasn't too pleased really with having to share her quarters with two meat eaters. She had found out that even Shenzi was a killer. But in her case, only for food for herself and Chamberlain. To the outside visible eye anyway.

...

On the 8th day after coming here, Aughra said enough was enough. Chamberlain needed to walk again so he could leave. His friend too. He was more than ready to leave this place. So was Shenzi.

He tried using the wall and the strength of Shenzi's shoulders to help himself stand up again. He had also been given herbs to help with pain and recovery. Aughra gave him a cane to help too if needed.

Chamberlain's leg was still in great agony, but he was now on his feet again. He whined as he limped so slowly. Maybe if he was taken back home, the Scientist could help him some more. He needed a Skeksis doctor.

But in the end, though they were both leaving together, Chamberlain was not going to walk that far with that injured leg. The wounds were so severe that the stitches still needed to be in for awhile. Aughra changed the bandages one more time before Shenzi was tied up in the harness again and she pulled him along to the outdoors and on to the Castle. As fast as she could move, Chamberlain knew they could be there real soon.

...

He was awake the whole way there. He had gotten plenty of rest for the past 8 days. Chamberlain had been surprised when Aughra had strapped Shenzi into a vine harness to pull him along. She only went in the directions she was told to go.

They arrived back at the Castle before the first sun even set. "Now what, Chamberlain?" Shenzi asked.

They were still a distance away. "We wait for night. They all sleep at night. Then we sneak in." He said.

"Very well, so we pace ourselves." Shenzi said. He gave her a pat on the shoulder. She was on his left. They rested some more before total darkness engulfed the landscape.

...

Soon, they awoke again. Chamberlain woke up Shenzi and she began pulling him toward the entrance. As they got closer, SkekSil knew he had to stand up to be let in. He was in control of the Garthim.

He used his cane and Shenzi to stand up and walk to the entrance. He put up his hand. "Let us through Garthim," and they did. Shenzi was scared though of those big dark brown beetles. She pulled him in through the entrance and a little ways further, but then stopped. "I can't go further. I'm sorry." Shenzi said.

"Why? We are here." He said.

"Yes. You are home, but not me. Those big dark beetles scare me." She said in a nervous tone. She was so scared that the hackles on her back and neck were beginning to raise. Her tail was in between her hind legs.

Chamberlain had never seen her do this before. "Very well. I go alone then." He said as he undid her from the harness. "Thanks for helping me."

She smiled but remained nervous. He pulled himself up. "Now I try to go to my room to rest. If want to come, welcome." Chamberlain proclaimed to her.

"Thanks, but I think not. Take care of yourself. Be careful when walking right now." Shenzi said, and began to sneak back to a tunnel back behind them that led to the underground or sewers of the Castle. He didn't force her to come. She had done enough for him already.

Now Chamberlain was on his own. He slowly made his way through the Castle to find his room. It had appeared now that all the others had gone to bed, which was what he was hoping for, to not get discovered by them until morning anyway.

Shenzi came back out and secretly followed him. She stayed alongside the walls and making sure she was silent.

As Chamberlain was nearing his bed chamber, there was one miscalculation. The High Priest was still up right now on this night. He came around the corner and he saw another Skeksis that was out of bed. He saw a cane held by his fellow Skeksis and thought it was the Scientist, but he had a glowing eye. This one didn't.

"SkekZok!" Chamberlain shrieked.

The High Priest was shocked when he heard his name and the voice of the other Skeksis. "Chamberlain! What are you doing here?! You were banished and not to be here!"

His shouting had woken some nearby other Skeksis. The ones closest were the General, the Gourmand, the Scientist, and the Historian. They all rushed out to the racket. "What is the meaning of this noise? We are trying to sleep." General inquired.

"The Chamberlain is back." High Priest said and pointed.

All 4 looked and there was Chamberlain. He smiled slyly and whimpered. He began backing up, knowing what could possibly happen to him. His leg still crippled him. It still throbbed too. It was in no shape for running.

The others glared at him and began advancing on him. "I just want to go to my room." skekSil said. "Please."

"You were banished. You are to get out on your own, or we will force you. What's it going to be Chamberlain?" General asked.

"I can't choose either. I need some rest. That's all. I can't travel right now."

"Well then we will choose for you! Grab him!" General ordered. The High Priest and Scientist were going to grab the wounded Chamberlain. He dropped his cane and he lost his footing as his sore leg gave out on him. He screamed in pain.

Shenzi was watching the drama unfold and didn't like what she was seeing. They were going to kill him if she didn't step in. This was making her angry.

...

Chamberlain was on the floor panting when the Scientist and High Priest grabbed his arms. "OWWW!" He cried out as he was pulled to his feet. They tried to move him back to the entrance way to force him back out, and now that he had balance, he hopped on one leg.

On their way to the entrance, a strange creature appeared in front of them. "What's this?" High Priest demanded.

"Shenzi!" Chamberlain cried for her.

Shenzi could hear the scared panic in Chamberlain's voice.

"Let him go." Shenzi demanded herself. She made her voice sound threatening as possible.

"Who are you?" General asked.

"I said let him go!" She spoke up.

"Oh go away, Animal." The Scientist said.

"I will say for the last time, let him go!"

"And what will you do if we don't?" The Historian mocked her.

"It could be a broken arm or leg." Shenzi said.

"She doesn't look like she could." Gourmand said.

"You wanna bet?" Shenzi asked in a mock voice too.

"I'll get rid of her." The High Priest said and went toward her. "Get out of here!" He shouted.

"Not without him." Shenzi said.

Chamberlain was still trying to balance on one leg, but now he had lost his footing again. "Chamberlain, you clumsy fool!" General told him angrily. "Get up!"

"Leave him alone!" The hyena shouted back. She was standing her ground and not backing off. Chamberlain had locked eyes with her. The High Priest was now upon her.

"I said get out of here!" He said and drew his knife. Since she wasn't moving, he tried to stab her real fast, but then she dodged his attack. She jumped to his left. She laughed at his expense.

He tried again and again. She kept on jumping away. Now the other Skeksis were crowding her and even the others were awake now and joining on getting her crowded into a corner, Chamberlain forgotten. He used her distraction to get to his feet and to try to get to his room.

Soon, the Garthim were called on and now Shenzi was pushed into a corner. But she dodged their claws and got back to the Skeksis masters. "I'm not going to go anywhere." She said. Her ears could pick up on them. She knew when to move.

"Hold Garthim! She wants us to finish her off. Do it!" General, as the new Emperor, demanded. The High Priest was ready.

Now that she was in a corner, and cornered. There was one other option. "Don't come any closer." She said.

They still were advancing. Chamberlain was watching from afar. Just like the way he had become when he had lost the battle in the Trial by Stone. He was afraid he was going to lose her. Then he heard a growling noise. It wasn't his stomach or one of the other Skeksis.

The High Priest was in front. His knife was drawn, ready to kill, but now, Shenzi's eyes were locked on his arm with the knife in it. He tried to swipe at her, and she now had her teeth bared and her jaws were snapping out of defense. Chamberlain watched.

When he tried again, Shenzi had now clamped on to the High Priest's left arm. He cried out in pain, and Shenzi was shaking his arm and pulling, clamping her jaws down. There was a snap heard, and he was on the ground. He was the tallest of the Skeksis, and here Shenzi was, a smaller creature, and she had him pinned to the ground. He had let go of the knife a while ago.

Now she was just standing there with his arm in her mouth. She glared into the Skeksis' blue eyes, which had fear in them. She gave one final glare into his and let go. The other Skeksis had given them space. They didn't want to be attacked.

She made her way over to Chamberlain.

"Chamberlain, how dare you bring her in here! Get out!" The Emperor ordered.

"He can't. He is in no condition to travel. He came home because of that. I helped him to get here." Shenzi said. She saw that the High Priest was now up and glaring at her with a vengeance in his eyes. He was holding his left wrist, which was now broken.

...

In the Valley, urZah the Ritual Guardian Mystic, had a broken arm too.

...

"What do you mean he can't travel?" The Ornamentalist asked.

"Show them." She said.

Chamberlain, leaning on the cane with his left hand, reached down with his right hand, and pulled up the clothing to reveal the huge bandage dressings. "I'm wounded and my leg needs to heal. Badly chewed by an animal. Chewed to pieces. Stitches need to heal." He said.

"No doubt she did it!" The Slave Master said.

"She did not do it! Another one. She saved my life from that animal! She has a wound on one of her front legs to prove it!" Chamberlain back talked to him. "She and Aughra saved my life!"

Now they all were shocked.

"Let's go to your room now, Chamberlain." Shenzi said.

He turned and now they both went to his room. The others followed with the exception of High Priest and Scientist. They went to his lab to fix the High Priest's arm.

...

In his room, Chamberlain sat down first. Shenzi supervised. Then he put his left leg up and then he pulled himself up further into his bed with his arms and good leg.

Shenzi now jumped up onto the bed. She grabbed his blankets and pulled them down for him. "Thanks."

She smiled and bowed her head. He pulled himself up into the space and then she pulled the blankets up over him. He settled into his bed to rest. Shenzi now laid down beside him. The others had watched with interest.

Both Chamberlain and Shenzi glared at the other Skeksis, but they glared back at her more than him. She just about bared her teeth at them too. Her growl was simple. It meant 'keep away or I will hurt you too.'

Chamberlain soon dozed off. Shenzi stayed awake until all the others had left. She had gone and closed his door for the privacy. There was a lock also. So now it was locked and they both could rest in peace for the time being. Shenzi slept next to Chamberlain on his bed and it sure was comfortable.

The wounded Skeksis slept his greatest for the first time in many days. He was back in his own bed. Now he had a real friend in this Castle.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day, the other Skeksis found the High Priest with his left arm in a sling and a cast. The Scientist had repaired it the best he could. Now it would just take at least 6 weeks to heal. He had plans to get that hyena back, but it would have to wait until he was healed.

The Skeksis recently had viewed this new creature known as a hyena to be no threat to them, but now, after what she had done to the High Priest, she could be a threat. She had the big potential to be very dangerous indeed for an animal half their size.

Of course in comparison, hyena society itself was very strict and forceful. Females ruled though, with high male hormones in their systems. Cubs came behind their mothers, depending on the mother's place in the hierarchy. Males were at the lowest usually.

Chamberlain woke up first that morning before Shenzi. He didn't want to leave her alone here. Not after what she had done last night. At first to him, it had seemed like what she had done had been a dream, but now that he knew he was back here, home in the Castle, he knew it hadn't been a dream.

He was very grateful that she had saved his life twice now in the worst of times. His fellow Skeksis could have injured his leg more if they had forced him back out. He needed her at his side right now to keep him defended.

Chamberlain nudged Shenzi awake. "Time to wake up. Start the day." He said.

"I need some more sleep. Not feeling well right now." Shenzi said.

"What wrong?" He asked.

"I think it's just indigestion. My stomach's bothering me." She said. "But if you want to, go ahead without me. You do need to use your injured leg after all."

"I know. I leave my door closed today and let you rest." The Skeksis said. He just figured she was exhausted from the trip here. He had no idea the real reason for her discomfort. It was her cubs.

...

Chamberlain got slowly off his bed, whining all the time. Shenzi watched him, and as soon as he was out of the room, leaning on his cane, she went back to sleep.

He was so used to getting up real early in the morning, except for when he had been fighting that fever. He limped to the kitchen. He didn't have the happiest look on his face this morning because of the pain in his leg. He wished he didn't have to walk on it.

The other Skeksis looked up as he walked in. They saw how badly he was limping. His whimpering was more because of pain rather than trying to irritate the others. His limping was nearly comparable to the Scientist's right now.

"Where is your friend, Chamberlain?" General asked.

"She was not feeling well. Needed rest. She tired from pulling me here. I couldn't walk here. She pulled me. She is strong to pull me." Chamberlain said.

High Priest was pleased with that. Maybe he could still get her back now.

Chamberlain took his seat back at the table. He was more than happy to be eating real Skeksis cooking again. But he had been grateful to Shenzi for getting him food too, or else he probably would have been dying of hunger out there for those several days he was away from here.

Many of the others wanted to know more about this animal that had much in common with them.

"Her name is Shenzi first. She said she comes from a different planet called 'Earth,' was it? Well, she is a hyena. Some portal transported her here for some reason. She is entirely alone. No friends. She was shy of me at first, but seemed to trust me fast. Since she said I was the first one who would talk to her." He explained.

"She seems like she could be a killer." The Historian said.

"She saved my life. From you and from that animal. And as much as we all hate her, she even brought Aughra to help take me back to her place to care for my hurt leg and hands. She even killed other animals out there for me to eat."

"And what does she eat?" Gourmand asked.

"Meat." Chamberlain replied. "And I will say, like what High Priest tried to do last night, don't make her mad to try to bite you again. Her jaws are strong. I even saw her eat a whole land-strider bone! That's how strong they are! And she did break your arm, High Priest."

"You know anything else of her?" General asked.

"She says there were a kind of creature called lions that were her kind's deadliest enemies. They killed her mate and another friend. So she was alone, but she said she was the head of her Pack. She was the leader."

They all could understand that at how they had seen how fierce she was last night. She was definitely one to be respected. She was a lot like them.

They finished eating their breakfast mostly in silence, with a few quarrels every now and again among themselves.

...

Shenzi slept most of the day away in Chamberlain's room.

At noon, the Skeksis had the usual sun collection from the Crystal. Chamberlain now felt some more strength return to him. But his leg was still sore. Then there was lunch.

The Scientist asked Chamberlain to come to the lab afterwards so he could take a look at that leg. He did.

Chamberlain laid on a bed in the lab. He still only wore the rags of clothing yet. That made it easier for the leg to be assessed.

The Scientist took off the bandages. What he saw, he couldn't believe his eyes. Stitches just covered every inch of his leg between his knee and ankle! Whatever had hurt him, sure did a good job. Chamberlain even got a good look at his leg.

"And this is Aughra who did this?" Scientist asked.

"Yes. I was asleep. Had high fever. Slept for a few days fighting infection of this. She did this while I was sleeping. Still need to heal some more." Chamberlain said.

"I can see that." Scientist said. He applied more dressings to the wounds and some herbs to control pain.

Chamberlain went to check on Shenzi right after. She was still on his bed sleeping. She must have had something wrong with her or she was that exhausted.

He himself, was feeling much better now. The herbs the Scientist gave him were strong ones to help with pain. Chamberlain decided that after dinner, he would bring her some food and see if she would need something in her system to help her some more.

After dinner, Chamberlain did as he had intended. He got some food that was uneaten and brought it to his room in a bowl. He gently shook Shenzi awake. She groaned, but was awake the instant she smelled the food.

"I thought you might want something to eat since not having none all day." He said.

"I am feeling a little better now. Thanks." She said.

Chamberlain sat the bowl down in front of her. She smelled the food, then dove right into it. She gulped the food down as if it was nothing. She practically inhaled it.

The Skeksis was amazed at how fast she ate. "You sure do eat fast." He said.

"Its my nature. Back home, we never knew when some other predators would come along and steal our food. We had to eat fast, especially when lions were around." Shenzi said.

After she was done eating, Chamberlain took the bowl off his bed and took it to be disposed of. He didn't want that trash on his bed. Shenzi thanked him again. "Hey, after all the time you gave me food in the swamp, I could do the same for you now." He said before he walked out. "I have some more duties, then not long for bed."

"Ok. Do as you will." She said.

He left and got rid of the bowl. Then he went about some more duties before it was time for Skeksis bedtime.

Aside from the tiring and upset stomach she had had today, another thing on her mind was troubling her. How was she going to explain to Chamberlain that she was pregnant? She had wanted to be sure that he was completely trustworthy first before she ever decided to tell him or his clan this precious secret. She knew her pups wouldn't be so helpless at birth, but they were a lot smaller than her and didn't know what danger was entirely.

Chamberlain soon came back to his room for the night. He got back in as he did the night before. He petted her goodnight. His front was facing her head. She had gone back to sleep before, but now that he had come back, now she was ready to get up. She pretended to go to sleep again when he did, but not for long.

Shenzi was now fine and she did want to explore the Castle. She slowly and gently got off Chamberlain's bed without disturbing him. She walked to the door and found it wasn't locked. She clawed at it a bit and it opened. She smelled Chamberlain's room to make sure that she had his scent and would make sure to return here before it was time for them to wake up. She would be careful.

Shenzi explored quite a bit of the Castle that night, but she would explore more tomorrow by Chamberlain's side. She needed him to be there to explain things to her about all the certain rooms were in the Castle. She had seen from the outside that this place was huge! Huge enough for her anyway. She had only been on the lower floors so far and to Chamberlain's room.

The Castle was mostly dark at this hour, but she was a night animal and her eyes could see in the dark.

She had explored to the old Emperor's bedroom, the Council Chamber, the kitchen or Dining Hall, a room filled with papers and scrolls and books, a room filled with gold and gems, nothing of interest to her, a room full of animals she had never seen before, and a huge room that had a huge floating Crystal! She had come quite a ways. But now, it was nearing dawn. It was time to return.

Shenzi nosed her way into Chamberlain's room again. She got up onto the bed and laid down. Maybe she could still get some sleep before he woke up. He was still sleeping. She just hoped that he had slept all the night and had not found her missing.

He had moved over during the night to his other side. He had been facing toward her side when she had left the room. Oh well. As long as he wasn't mad at her. She laid her head down and fell asleep before it was time to get up again.


	9. Chapter 9

Shenzi felt the nudging of her Skeksis friend. "Wake up." She heard his wheedling voice.

She moaned and raised her head. "Already?"

"Yes. Time for breakfast." Chamberlain said. "Come this time?"

"Yes. I think I will. I do need to learn my way around your Castle home here." Shenzi said.

Chamberlain was pleased. He slowly got out of his bed and Shenzi jumped off after him. He was still walking with his cane, but wasn't leaning so much now. He still had a good limp. She followed him out of his room, and to the kitchen.

Shenzi could smell the food. She was following right behind him.

The other Skeksis were not so pleased when they were seeing Shenzi make an appearance this morning. But they needed to know what she would be like in the dining hall.

The General/Emperor and the High Priest sat in the middle, and Chamberlain passed to join them. Shenzi was going to follow, but she was stopped by a bone in her way by the Gourmand on the edge of the table. "I don't think so." He said.

The Skeksis were testing her. Even Chamberlain knew this and he didn't do anything. He watched.

"You go over there Hyena." General said. He pointed to the front of the room. She looked to Chamberlain.

He nodded his head. She did what he said. She went to the front of the room and sat down. She knew that they were all just wanting to watch her carefully. She saw the High Priest staring more suspiciously at her and she saw his injured arm in the sling. She had done good.

She watched all 9 Skeksis eat their breakfasts. None of them offered her any food, but she noticed that if they came across something they didn't like, they would throw it across the room. The smell of the food was too much. Her stomach was growling now. If she couldn't have a bowl of her own, then she would eat what they didn't. She got up.

"I said to stay there!" The General now spoke up to her.

Shenzi looked at him, but ignored him. She wearily walked over to the thrown things on the floor. Her body was now slightly lowered to the ground. Her body posture was more cautious and submissive. She put her head down to sniff at the thrown food pieces.

The Skeksis had watched her as she moved. What was she doing?

Shenzi found the food piece appealing. It didn't smell bad to her, though the Skeksis did. She opened her jaws and snatched it up. She went on to snatch up a lot more off the floor. She ended up cleaning up most of the mess they had made.

The Skeksis were amazed at what she was doing. She was cleaning up after them! She was eating food that was otherwise thrown out if they didn't like it. Hyenas back in Africa were used sometimes as garbage can animals. They could eat almost anything and not get sick.

After breakfast, Chamberlain showed her around the Castle. He showed her his office and his duties. He showed her just about every room she had explored last night, but now she knew what rooms these were and who worked in them.

At noon, Shenzi watched the sun give the Skeksis the daily energy. It didn't take long.

Chamberlain soon got hungry again and went to the Slave Master for some scraps. Shenzi was hungry too. Those small pieces that she ate at breakfast were not enough to feed her and some unborn pups.

Chamberlain's full set of robes had now been returned to him today. He looked much bigger to her now that he had the full set on him. He was glad to have them back on his body. He had felt naked without them on. And he had been when he had been stripped of his position. He had only managed to put some smaller robes back on himself. But now he was much more proud looking. He didn't look so low looking now compared to his other Skeksis comrades.

The Slave Master easily handed over some food to Chamberlain, but then he challenged Shenzi to see if she could jump up and grab a bag of meat out of his hand. Then he would let her have them.

Shenzi's eyes watched the bag heavily. She placed herself carefully. Using her haunches, she jumped up and did grab the bag. Now the Slave Master was playing tug of war with her. "Let go!" He shouted.

Chamberlain whimpered and laughed. He had warned the others.

Shenzi's muscles in her neck and shoulders and jaws were strong. She didn't let go. She pulled harder and harder until he finally let go. Now she had a good sized snack.

The two of them enjoyed the scraps and went about some more Castle duties until dinnertime.

...

At all three meals, Shenzi just ate the scraps of the Skeksis off the floor. But she had had some scraps too. When was she going to be presented with a bowl of her own to eat out of? Chamberlain had offered her one in his room the first full day there.

She asked him that at bedtime.

"Skeksis are testing you Shenzi. To see if you are cut to be worthy of our kind." Chamberlain said. "You have struck fear in the High Priest's and Slave Master's eyes."

"Do they even like you at all?" She asked.

"I have been told most of them don't. They don't like my voice or my whimper." He said.

"Well, I did notice that today, you whimper a lot. If you might stop doing that so much, they might stop hating you. But I do know what it's like to put up with someone annoying, not that you are to me. You are fine to me. My mate and I had a friend that hung out with us and all he did was laugh his head off at just about anything you'd say or do. His name was Ed."

Chamberlain was glad that he at least didn't laugh all the time. "Even if I did, they would still hate me. It is the nature of our kind to hate each other."

"Sometimes that is true of mine too. My kind's pecking order is strict too. Us females rule our clans. We are far bigger and tougher than the males. Males are usually rock bottom. Babies come after their moms, depending on their mother's rank in the clan. My mother was at the top, and I took her place as leader when she was killed by lions." Shenzi said. "But how many of you are there really?"

"Once, there were 18 of us, but now, we are down to 9." Chamberlain said.

"You guys really should think about repopulating, even if you do hate each other, unless you want your species to die off completely."

"In some years, we won't have to worry about that. A Great Conjunction approaches in a few years. We destroyed all of the Gelflings that any one of them could have been responsible for destroying us. We made sure of that."

Shenzi cocked her head. "What are Gelflings?"

"A prophecy was said that they could destroy us by returning a Crystal shard to the Crystal. The Crystal is our source of power that saves us. Gives us energy every day. It serves us. But to answer you, they are little creatures, uh, I don't know. I show you tomorrow pictures in books in Historian's library. That good?"

"Sure. Ok."

The two of them settled down for the night, but before he fell asleep, Chamberlain couldn't help but to think a bit about what Shenzi had said about repopulating his species. And what about her?

"There are lots of my kind." Shenzi said in a low voice. "Back home." Then she fell asleep.

...

The next day as promised, Chamberlain showed Shenzi what Gelflings looked like.

The Historian was in there watching too.

"She wanted to know since I told her of prophecy." Chamberlain said.

Shenzi looked at the pictures. "From back home, to me they look like a cross of humans and baboons."

"What are those?" Historian asked.

"Baboons are monkeys. Kind of crazy animals. Ugly too. But humans are much more dangerous. They bring big machines and spy on us. We get used to them and they usually do us no harm, but just watch. But as a cub, it was nerve wracking. Mom told me they were nothing to worry about though." Shenzi said.

"What was her name?" skekSil asked.

"Shetani." Shenzi said.

"What does it mean?"

"It kind of means ambitious. My own name means uncouth." Shenzi said.

Chamberlain and Historian looked at each other. Her name fit her.

Shenzi finished looking at pictures of the Gelflings. Then on another book, she saw a different kind of picture, alongside the Skeksis. "Hey, what are these creatures?" She asked.

Chamberlain looked and his eyes widened. "Those are the urRu. We hate them. They are a part of the prophecy too. If they were to come back here during the Great Conjunction, we would be joined with them to become something else."

"Then why haven't you destroyed them like the Gelflings?" Shenzi asked.

"Because we can't." The Historian said. "We need them to live even if we hate them so much. Their lives and ours are bound as one in each. If any one of us gets hurt or dies, the same thing happens to them."

"So if what you are saying is, when that animal that I killed hurt Chamberlain, one of those urRu got hurt too?"

"Yes." Chamberlain said. "We hate them, but we have to let them live, or else we would die."

"Okay." Shenzi let the subject go. She could tell the Skeksis were not happy about talking about their urRu counterparts.

Chamberlain was now urging her out of the library as both he and Historian were getting agitated of the questions about their counterparts. He just wanted to move on with his daily activities. Shenzi following him all day long. She sure did give him someone to listen to.


	10. Chapter 10

Over a short time in two months, the High Priest had held a grudge against Shenzi, but he didn't do anything to strike at her since what she had done once, she could certainly do again. His arm healed and was nearly about the same as before.

Shenzi stood up for herself many times against all the Skeksis. They respected her enough now that they knew she was not meant to be toyed with. They understood real well at how she was to be a leader. At one time, even the General offered her to be his right hand advocate.

"No thanks. I think I'll stick to the one I have chosen." Shenzi said.

The General knew she meant Chamberlain. In his eyes, what she saw in him, he would never know. He was so much better for her than him. She had the real makings of if she were a Skeksis, a Skeksis leader.

Chamberlain was so glad that she had chosen him to be the one she was closest to. She did have good hearing and such. He did sometimes like to spy on the others. He got more answers from her since she could hear further than he could. It was also thanks to her hearing why she had never been hurt by any Skeksis trying to sneak up on her.

His leg was also healing well. By the time that over 8 weeks had passed, his leg was healed completely and he was now walking normally again and without any cane. Once the stitches were out, there were some scars on his leg.

She did begin to keep the Castle clear of pests. She ate them. All the Crawlies that ran along on the floor, most of the time unseen, Shenzi loved to catch them and eat them. She was trying to keep her unborn pups fed so they wouldn't be driving her nuts now that they were moving.

But also over time, some Skeksis, like the Slave Master and Gourmand, began to notice that some food was also starting to go missing. They had their suspicions. Sure, they both served food to the other Skeksis and Shenzi, but this kind of food for later to serve as scraps and other meals going missing was a bit too much.

Both of them stormed to the Chamberlain's quarters. "Chamberlain! That animal of yours is stealing our food!" They would yell.

"Have you seen her do it?" Chamberlain remarked.

"No, but it has to be her! No one else is capable of it without us knowing." Slave Master said.

"Lock up the rooms when you aren't in it. Then see if you have proof before you just accuse her of it!" Chamberlain said. She had to be innocent.

"Fine!" Then they would storm out.

Shenzi did serve at the other Skeksis' sides now too. She had been away with some others when these complaints were being made behind her back.

Shenzi's stomach was beginning to get fatter now. Her appetite was growing more and more. She had been stealing the extra rations at night when everyone was sleeping. The next morning, there was just smaller amounts of meat in the storage areas. Other animals couldn't be stealing the food since Shenzi had made short work of any animals that ran by in the Castle.

On the same night that the complaints had been made about Shenzi, Chamberlain had to confront her though. Stealing food was not something to be tolerated. The Skeksis all had raging appetites themselves and needed the scraps from the Slave Master. Anything else was expendable, but not food.

"Shenzi." Chamberlain said when she came in from the day's duties. She still slept in his room on his bed with him.

"Hi." She smiled. She jumped up onto his bed.

"Shenzi, I must ask you something." He said.

She saw the worried look on his face and her smile dropped. "What's wrong?"

"Is it true that you have been stealing food from the kitchen and the Slave Master's quarters?" Chamberlain asked her. "They came to me today and told me that something has been stealing. Food is missing. We need our food for us. Stealing is not tolerated."

Shenzi knew that she could be in trouble. She had been snatching food. She swallowed.

Chamberlain saw her nervous reaction to his question and explaining. He didn't really need a spoken answer. "You need to stop stealing Shenzi, or they could kick you out."

"Well, I could make up for that. I still do know how to hunt. I could hunt down some replacements." Shenzi said.

"You do that. Besides us feeding you every day, maybe you should just hunt for yourself when you feel the strongest urge to steal. We need our food here. We always have to use the Garthim for our hunting. We are not that good at it ourselves." Chamberlain said.

Shenzi knew that he really needed an explanation as to why she was stealing though. "Chamberlain, I really have something to tell you."

He looked at her.

"There will be a time coming soon where I won't be able to hunt for awhile. It's already starting to show on me I'm sure." She started.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

She stood up on his bed. "Do I look fat to you?"

Chamberlain looked at her weird but looked. She looked well fed, but not much. "You look like you have been eating better. But not fat."

"Well, come next month, that could change Chamberlain. The more I get fat, the more I need to eat, and the bigger I get, the harder it will be for me to hunt down prey for myself."

"Don't be eating too much then if you think you are getting fat."

"You are missing my point, Chamberlain. I WILL be getting fatter!" Shenzi was slightly impatient right now.

He was taken aback. Chamberlain was used to being snapped at by his fellow Skeksis, but practically never by her.

She saw the widened eye look on him. "I'm sorry for snapping, but my hormones are not normal right now, Chamberlain. I said before that I have something to tell you."

He was listening.

"I have told you that back where I came from I had a mate that was killed. Well, he and I did uh, what couples do to make babies." Shenzi said.

Now it was all clear to Chamberlain.

"I'm having my mate's pups." Shenzi said. "I have been wanting to tell you for a long time, but just never found the right time. Now you know. Within a month, I will be getting fatter than I am now, and I will be having my pups."

"How long have you been pregnant?" He asked.

"Since I have been here only 2 months, and I was a month along when I was transported here, I have been pregnant for 3 months now. My pregnancy is only 4 months. So they will be here soon." Shenzi said.

"What will they look like? Like you, only smaller." He smirked.

"Very funny. Yes, they will look like me, and smaller, but black."

"Huh?"

"Hyena pups are born black. My pups will also be fighting from birth too. I did as well. I was born with a sister and I killed her even though I was so young. My kind's pups are not so helpless at birth. I have seen pups born before, but these pups being born to me are my first ones." Shenzi said. "I look forward to seeing them because they are the last link I have to my mate and the father of my babies. Though just not the labor part."

"Do they move?" Chamberlain asked.

"Yes. I feel them all the time, and when they are, it usually means they are hungry. Now you know why I have been stealing. I'm sorry."

"Just hunt until you can't anymore. No more stealing, and I can make Gourmand feed you more at feeding time." Chamberlain said. "But the other Skeksis do need to know of the pups coming."

"I know. So they can be prepared." Shenzi said.

Shenzi was now getting scared about telling the Skeksis tomorrow. But she was more than happy for her best friend to know. She fell asleep that night in his arms. He was lying on his left side. His presence was the only thing that soothed her right now.

...

Chamberlain awoke to her still beside him the next morning, but not in his arms as when they had fallen asleep. He just hoped that she had listened to him about not stealing anymore food. Only if the Slave Master or the Gourmand came to him today would he know she listened or not.

The Slave Master and Gourmand went to their places before breakfast to see that their rations for meals were safe, and they were this morning. Nothing was gone. Nothing disturbed. But it did give them the suspicion that Shenzi had been doing it.

...

Shenzi and Chamberlain walked to the Throne Room together. They wanted to tell the Emperor before breakfast could begin so the Gourmand would give her more food.

All the Skeksis except the Gourmand were in here now. He was making breakfast.

They both made it to the throne and bowed. "Greetings, Sire. Shenzi has something she has to tell us all." Chamberlain said.

General looked down at her. "Like the stealing of food?!"

"So you heard about that?" She asked nervously.

"Yes. Food stealing is not something we take lightly!" He shouted at her.

"I found no food missing this morning, which was good, but after me and the Gourmand told this to the Chamberlain, he told you about it, didn't he?" The Slave Master inquired.

"Yes. Okay, I was taking the food, but since you all took food, I didn't think that you minded. But there is a reason behind my stealing." Shenzi said with flattened ears. For once, she was submissive to them.

"You will be punished for this, Shenzi." The General said.

"I can hunt down some animals to make up for the stealing!" She shouted at him. "But I have something else to say! I'm pregnant, okay!" She shouted at them all.

That made them all shut up and stare at her dumbfounded.

Then the High Priest spoke. "Did you know about this, Chamberlain?"

Chamberlain looked up at him and the Emperor, who were both wearing shocked faces. "Not until last night. The Slave Master and Gourmand came to me last night and said they thought Shenzi was stealing food. I told her about it, and she told me she had been, but for this reason that she was pregnant. She needed the extra food since she is feeding more than herself now. I swear I not know of her pregnancy until last night!"

"When are the babies coming?" General asked Shenzi.

"In about a month. About 28 days or less." Shenzi replied.

"How many?" The Gourmand had to know how many more mouths he was going to be feeding after the birth.

"I don't know. From the movements I can feel right now, I think I am having at least two. Twins. But if there is one, then it sure is active. Three is a rare number for my kind. These are my first babies, so I don't know what kind of mother I'm going to be." Shenzi said.

"As fast as you can move around, you do seem really young to me." Chamberlain said.

"I am young. I'm only about 8 years old." She said.

"Well, this is disturbing, but until the babies are nearly due Shenzi, you will hunt for us to make up for the rations you stole from us." General proclaimed as her punishment.

"Very well, Sire." Shenzi said and bowed her head.

She started to leave the room, but then Chamberlain spoke up. "Sire, wait. If I may say so, with the pups putting more pressure on her, may I ask that some Garthim assist her in her hunts? It can't be good on her body. They could slow her down."

"Fine, but I will allow only 3 Garthim to assist her."

Shenzi was looking back. "Thank you, Sire." Chamberlain said and left to join her leaving. He came up to her and they left together.

"Why did you do that?" She asked.

"Because I know that heavy weight can slow you down. I have tried and lost many times with heavy weight on me." He said.

"Thanks, but have you ever been pregnant before? Probably not considering you're a guy. And guys can't get pregnant." Shenzi said grumpily.

"We Skeksis do have a small girl side too. We just don't use them. Ornamentalist might show it more than all of us though, of those that are left of us." Chamberlain said. "And no, I have never been pregnant."

The two of them went back to his room. "I'll leave to hunt when I'm ready. Not before." Shenzi said. "And I will need the Garthim to listen to me when I say, not for them to do whatever they want!"

"They will do as you say. We can have it arranged. You can pick them or the Emperor will pick them out for you and he might know which ones are the best killers." Chamberlain said.

"All the Garthim are catchers and killers for you Skeksis." Shenzi said.

"Yes. They are."

"I think I will do my own hunting Chamberlain, but if I need the assistance, I think I would have the Garthim just to carry it home for me. Me pulling a big animal home would be hard to do, but I guess I would want to command one to do that and the other two could assist me to run it into a trap, the animal, whatever I choose to hunt." Shenzi said. She just wanted to have her wishes carried out. "Can you tell the Emperor?"

"Of course."

"Now would be nice before you forget." Shenzi said and she laid down on his bed.

Chamberlain could tell she was miserable with her punishment. He went to relay her message to the General. Her wishes were respected. So it would be that way.


	11. Chapter 11

Over the next 3 weeks, Shenzi went out every few days to make a kill with the Garthim that were supplied to help her out with the trapping and killing. She needed the help as the weight of at least two pups in her belly were now slowing her down quite a bit.

Her stomach hung down as if she had eaten a huge carcass of meat every day. Hair around her breasts in between her legs began to fall off. They were also starting to fill with milk deep inside. They also got bigger.

The Skeksis could definitely tell that she was telling the truth about an impending birth as her body was looking more and more different.

Chamberlain was the closest to her. He did what he could for her when she was home. He almost couldn't help but wonder what it was like to be carrying other living beings in your belly. He gave his own stomach a little rub about it, but wasn't sure he would want it.

The Scientist really wanted to examine her, but she didn't trust him at all. She stayed out of his lab, but she had seen him one day torture a poor animal. That was the last time for that. She would never go in his lab again.

...

Four weeks had gone by. Her punishment was now over and now she was just waiting for the labor to set in. Shenzi began going below the Castle, into the sewers, where the Skeksis never really went at all. So it would be down here where she would secure her den. She would need a private place to give birth. She still had motherly instincts even though this was her first time having pups.

Shenzi did find a place nearer to a water stream and began digging a den for herself. Even if Skeksis did come down here, she would make sure to tell her pups to stay in the den when she wasn't around to make sure they stayed out of danger until she was ready for them to meet the family.

Shenzi would go down to inspect her den every couple of days during the time she was up with the Skeksis. She would leave them to do this. She was also becoming more and more restless with the huge weight in her stomach. She just wanted them out of her. She really wanted at least one boy.

She slept in Chamberlain's bed every night until one night, when labor finally set in. She sat up and looked at her friend, who was sleeping soundly. She got up and got off his bed, went to the door, clawed at it, and now that she knew her whole way around the Castle, she made her way down to the sewers where her den site was.

She went down into the den and prepared for the birth.

It was not a comfortable thing at all. Her stomach ached the worst ever in her life. It felt like an eternity before the first pup came down. Her organ was not letting it pass so easily. Shenzi had to bite at it in order to open it up to let the pup pass through. Now it was burning and hurting so bad! She hated to have to do that, but she did want her pup.

Shenzi licked the pup to stimulate breathing and to get it out of its afterbirth. She was sitting down when she was cleaning it up. She chewed through the umbilical cord. She ate most of the afterbirth. Then she checked the sex. Her first baby was a girl.

She wasn't quite sure what to call a girl. But she did know she wanted to name a son after his father. She really wanted to see if any of her pups would take after him.

The second pup was now working its way down. Shenzi could feel it. The labor was a long and agonizing feeling, but when she would have all her pups, her final gift from Banzai, the father, it would all be worth it in the end.

...

Chamberlain woke up that morning alone. Shenzi was not on his bed or on his floor. He had found his door wide open and it meant she had snuck out during the night sometime.

She wasn't in the kitchen either when he went there. He began a frantic search for her through the Castle. "Where is she?!" He shouted at all the others.

"We don't know. She might be off hunting or off having her babies." They would say.

But where could she be having her babies without anyone knowing where she was? What if she had gone off into the wilderness to have them? It wasn't safe out there. He had to find her and have her bring the pups back here. He was clearly having deep feelings for her now. He was almost acting like a mate to her or even a father for the pups, but he was not a father.

...

It was a long time later, that now Shenzi was done with labor. She had been in labor for over 23 hours. She had 3 pups! No wonder she had been so miserable throughout her pregnancy. One girl and two boys.

Her daughter was definitely the dominant one. She was testing her strength on both her brothers. But the boys fought each other too. Shenzi was now taking a break.

When they weren't fighting each other, the girl would nurse or sleep. The boys would take their turns at nursing and sleeping too. For the first two days, Shenzi stayed down in the den with her new pups. She had no idea that her friend was going nuts looking for her.

Shenzi also had to make sure her birthing canal was healing. Having pups the first time was real hard on first time mother hyenas. A lot of first timers could die because of having to tear into themselves just to let a pup be born. It was still sore, but it was healing.

...

Chamberlain looked for two days for her, inside the Castle and out. Shenzi was nowhere to be found. Maybe she had decided to raise her pups on her own. She didn't trust him to help her out.

But soon, after the two days, Shenzi did make an appearance to Chamberlain's room. "Chamberlain?" She said.

The distressed Skeksis looked up. "Shenzi? Where have you been?!"

"I was having my pups."

"Almost thought you were not coming back! Thought you gone back to the swamp. Were you in the swamp?"

"No, of course not. I have a secret den underground where they are. They are below the Castle. Please stay up here. I'll bring them up in two weeks. Twelve more days. That is the way it's done back home after a mother hyena has had pups."

"What did you have? How many?" Chamberlain asked. He did notice she looked a lot thinner in her stomach now, so she had indeed had her pups.

"Three. A rare number. One girl and two boys. I know I have named the boys after their father and uncle, but my daughter, not sure."

"What about after your mother?" Chamberlain asked.

"That is an idea. Shetani she is then." Shenzi said proudly.

"Why can't you bring the pups up now?" He asked.

"Because they are still trying to work out who is Boss down there. I have to put up with a lot. It will wear off after the first month. Hyena pups will fight for their first month after birth to try to see who's the strongest ones meant to survive." Shenzi explained. "Right now, I came up because I needed a break and some food. I need the food in order to make milk for them. They don't eat meat right now. Milk is all they get right now for food."

"Well, lunch should be about ready. Let's go. I'll have the Gourmand prepare some food for you." Chamberlain said.

"Sounds great to me." Shenzi said and followed him. When she had come up, all her pups were sleeping. She was sure they still were. She followed Chamberlain to the dining area.

All the Skeksis were surprised to see her back and saw that she did look a lot thinner now. Her breasts were bigger now and it was obvious she had been nursing some pups.

"So where are the little monsters?" The Historian asked.

"Safe. Hidden away until they are two weeks old." Shenzi said. "For now, just put up with me like you always have since I came to be here." She snapped at him. "They are not ready to meet anyone yet." Chamberlain put a plate down on the floor for her that Gourmand had prepared for them. It had been a surprise to see her, but she was going to be fed. She now tucked into her meal as the Skeksis were now trying to do.

...

Over the next two weeks, Shenzi would only come up for meals when her pups were sleeping. She couldn't leave them when they were awake. She didn't want them to kill each other. She was almost constantly playing referee to all three pups.

Shetani, her daughter, didn't fight with her brothers much, but she did make it clear to them she was the Boss sibling. Little Banzai and Ed still fought with other the most.

The pups all took turns nursing. Shenzi spent most of her time with her pups.

Unlike dog puppies, though hyena puppies do almost resemble them, but are not, they were born with their eyes and ears open. They already had some of their teeth and were able to fight with each other minutes after getting out of the afterbirths. They looked very different from Shenzi right now. They had been born black, but in a couple of months, they would start to turn more grayish and get their own unique spot patterns.

In all the time Shenzi spent with her pups, Chamberlain had gotten so used to her company around the Castle those few months, and now he was more lonely than ever. He still did his duties, and Shenzi had made it clear to him that he was not to come down here to look for the pups.

Every time Shenzi got the chance, she would say that if they ever woke up and she was gone, until she was ready for them to meet the family upstairs, if anyone or anything came down here when she was gone, they were not to come out of the den for anything. The pups understood, even at such a young age. They were even already learning how to talk.

...

Finally, the two weeks were up, and Chamberlain was anxiously awaiting the moment to meet Shenzi's new brood. The other Skeksis knew of it too. They were also wanting to see the little monsters they had heard so much about.

On the day of the trip upwards, Shenzi told her kids, "Alright. Shetani, Banzai, Eddie, it is now time for you to meet the family upstairs. I'm going to take you, one at a time, up to meet them. My best friend Chamberlain is the first one you will meet. He is a bit bird like, but no wings. Even if any of them seem scary to you, you will get to know them. We will all be staying in Chamberlain's room once you are all up there." Shenzi told her pups.

"And be good."

"Yes Mommy." They all said in unison. It had been amazing that Shenzi had managed to save all 3 pups from death that the way that they had fought each other so much from the beginning. But Shetani had made it clear right away who was Boss.

And as Boss pup, Shenzi gently, but firmly picked Shetani up in her mouth and carried her out of the den. At the entrance, she put her down to say back down the den, "Boys, you know my sound when I call you. Don't come out or up until I come back." Shenzi said, and picked up her daughter again.

Shetani was limp in her mother's mouth. She could still see where her mom was taking her though. After her little eyes had been so used to the dark, her mom was now bringing her up into some new light and it made her eyes slightly hurt.

It was quite the trip for the little female, but they soon arrived at a door. They hadn't seen any other Skeksis on the way. Shenzi scratched and pushed on the door with her leg and it opened up. Shenzi groaned.

Chamberlain heard the scratches and a creak in his door. Then he heard the hyena moaning. He knew it was Shenzi. Then he was seeing her round the corner with something black in her mouth. His eyes widened. He had never expected to see it so tiny.

Shenzi put her daughter down and gave a bow. "This is Shetani, Chamberlain. My only daughter."

"Never thought she be so small." Chamberlain answered, shocked.

"Well, they're supposed to be small. Remember, I carried them inside me for 4 months. They had to be small in order to be born." Shenzi said. "But if you want to meet my sons, I have to ask that you watch her for me."

"Sure."

Shenzi picked Shetani up in her mouth again and lifted her up so Chamberlain could take her into his hands. When he had her, she let go. "Now be good, Honey. Mommy will be right back." Shenzi said and left the room.

The pup watched her mom go and looked up now at her new watcher. He was a bit frightening to her because he was way bigger than her mom and looked different. "You got milk?" She asked suddenly as she was hungry.

"What?" He asked her.

"Want milk." Shetani said.

"Sorry Little One, no milk." Chamberlain said as he sat down on his bed to just hold her. He put his right hand on top of her head to stroke her soft fur.

She had never been petted before. At first she was scared at the touch, but calmed down. Her mom had said that he wasn't going to hurt her. But one time, as she was so hungry, when his hand came closer to her head, she opened her mouth and got a hold on his thumb.

"Hey!" He shouted. Chamberlain tried to get his thumb back out of her mouth, but instead of feeling a biting feeling, he felt a squeezing on it. She was sucking on his thumb! He stopped struggling and just let her suckle. She was suckling more for comfort now than food, but was hoping for food.

Shenzi soon arrived back carrying Little Banzai in her mouth. "Shetani!" She shouted.

The pup stopped sucking his finger. Even Chamberlain was a bit surprised at her outburst. "What Mommy?"

"He doesn't have the food you want. Don't do that. Sorry Chamberlain. They will try to suck on anything right now." Shenzi apologized for her daughter's hunger. "Now listen Shetani. I'm going to get your other brother and he is going to watch you both. Now behave and don't do that."

"Yes Mommy." Shetani said.

Chamberlain got a new look at the little male pup. Banzai was much more weary of the Skeksis. His face, despite being different from his mom's, did bear a resemblance just about.

This pup too, like his sister was black, but had bushier eyebrows.

Just a bit later, Shenzi now had Ed up there too. She jumped up onto the bed and two pups settled in next to their mother to nurse. It was Shetani and Banzai nursing first.

Chamberlain watched with interest. Now he saw why two pups was most optional for her. Ed tried to sleep while waiting for his turn.

Shenzi rolled to her side and went to sleep. She wanted some rest before having her pups meet the other Skeksis or them coming in here to see them. She also wanted her pups to be well fed too.

Hyena pups sure could nurse a long time. Even watching made Chamberlain tired too and he laid down to take a nap.

After she was done nursing on her mom, she was happy that her tummy was full now, but she went over and began sucking on Chamberlain's thumb again. Now it was just for comfort.

Ed now got his turn to nurse. "Mom told you not to do that anymore Shetani." Banzai said.

"I can't help it. It has a comfort feeling, Brother." Shetani said. She quit it but still laid beside Chamberlain.

Now that they knew him, Chamberlain was going to be playing a huge role in these pups' lives now. Probably the role that the father Banzai was missing out on. Chamberlain had never had offspring of his own and probably never would, but what if these pups came to think of him as their father? Would Shenzi allow it?

The boys did nothing to get their sister away from Chamberlain. If she didn't listen, Shenzi would have to do it or if Chamberlain should catch her.

Soon Shetani did go to sleep.

**Spotted hyenas can have the most complicated time having babies because of their male shaped parts. Sorry if it seemed gross, but it's real. It's the hardest on maidens because the first pup is usually always stillborn being born from a male shaped organ. Mom has to tear it open just to let it out. And she's lucky if she doesn't die too. But at least pups that follow can be born easier after that if Mom lives. **


	12. Chapter 12

The pups were to be introduced that evening to the Skeksis family.

Shenzi was nervous about doing so, but Chamberlain was sure that they would be accepted. They were to be carried to the Throne room. Shenzi didn't want the boys trying to get at each other. So it was decided that Chamberlain would carry Shetani, plus she liked him, and Little Ed. Shenzi wanted Little Banzai. He reminded her so much of his father; the male she had loved.

In his room, everyone was awake now. It was now dinnertime. "I'll take Banzai. You take them." Shenzi said.

"Okay." Chamberlain said.

"But after dinner. Kids, right now, Mommy and Chamberlain need to go eat our own food. Then you get to meet the family right after. Be good." Shenzi said.

"Yes, Mommy." They all said.

"I mean it." Shenzi warned them.

"Yes, Mommy."

Chamberlain watched her authority over them. He knew he would need it.

Chamberlain and Shenzi left the pups on his bed. "What was up with the double statement?" The Skeksis asked.

"Chamberlain, those pups have to be watched and warned a lot. If they are going to grow up right, you have to use authority over them." Shenzi said. "Like any children, they will want to get into mischief. Yes, even so young too."

When they got to the dinner room, General asked. "So where are the little monsters? You two said we'd be meeting them tonight."

"After dinner, Emperor." Shenzi said. "My pups are not ready for the seeing of solid foods. They are too young for it. After dinner in the Throne room. We will bring them there right after."

"Very well. Eat!" General ordered.

Chamberlain sat down at his spot and Shenzi was given a bowl of meat down at his seat. Shenzi was kind of like a member of them now. She had proven herself worthy enough. She ate from a bowl now down at Chamberlain's chair, but she still did stalk the Castle for stray animals and cleaned up the scraps here in the dining hall that the Skeksis threw away.

Chamberlain ate with a little bit of worry of what Shenzi had said and about what the pups were doing alone in his room. They better not trash it!

...

The pups were bored waiting. They weren't hungry as they had been fed. So they began to play. Well, the boys began to fight again. They were still trying to decide who was boss after Shetani. But Little Banzai was clearly the superior boy pup. But Little Eddie, the runt of the three, didn't want his larger brother to win that role, he kept on fighting.

"You guys! Stop it!" Warned Shetani.

They kept on it. Then she had to intervene. She stopped it this time. "Mommy warned us to be good! No more fighting!" The girl pup was already starting to sound like her mother.

"Agh! But Shetani, it's so boring in here!" Banzai complained.

"Boring or not, we have to do what Mommy said." The older sister said.

"I want to get the meeting over with already." Eddie said.

"Me too. It was already hard enough meeting Mr. Chamberlain." Banzai said.

"I was scared too of him, at first. But I like him now. Do you think he is our daddy? His face has nearly same look as Mommy's." Shetani said.

"Mom never told us to call him Daddy. But he is too different from us to be our dad." Banzai said.

"I don't think Mommy has ever told us about our daddy." Eddie said. "Maybe when Mom comes back, we should ask her about our daddy."

"Yes. We will." Shetani declared proudly.

They might have been so young yet, but knew they had to have a daddy out there.

...

After dinner was through, Shenzi and Chamberlain made their way back to his room to check on the pups and bring them to the Council Chamber, where the other Skeksis were going to gather to get ready to meet the 3 new family members after so long of finding out Shenzi had been pregnant.

"They better not have messed up my room." Chamberlain said.

"Well, like I said, pups like to play and they will test boundaries until they know what they should do. I know I did when I was little. But of course, I hadn't been here when I was their age." Shenzi said.

"Nothing wrong with my world, is there?" He asked.

"Oh no! I love it here. For one thing, there are no stupid lions here! I get to run the show on my own when it comes to hunting. Not having to worry about them coming to steal my food." Shenzi laughed. "But the new creatures are still strange to me, but I'm getting used to them."

As he listened to her, SkekSil knew he had rivalry among his own kind as well, but he didn't have to worry too much about his food being stolen from him. They continued on.

Soon, they were back at Chamberlain's room. He opened the door and found the pups wrestling on his bed.

"Hey!" He shouted.

"Kids!" Shenzi did likewise.

They all stopped playing. "Hi Mom! Just passing the time." Shetani said.

"It's nice you are finding something to do waiting on us, but just remember this. Don't trash Chamberlain's bed or his room. You understand?" She demanded.

"Yes, Mom." They said together.

"Mom, can we ask something?" Eddie asked.

"What?"

"Is Chamberlain our daddy?" He asked.

Both Shenzi and Chamberlain's eyes lit up. She looked back at him. He was more than shocked by that question. Then she turned back to her pups.

"No kids. Chamberlain is a good friend of mine."

"Then who is our daddy?" Banzai asked.

This was hard for Shenzi, but they needed to know. She still missed her mate and other best friend, Ed.

"Before you were even born here, I lived on a different planet. That was where I knew your father. He was a hyena like me. You, Banzai, are named after him. And you Little Eddie, are named after your Uncle Ed. We were friends in the same clan ever since we were pups ourselves."

"We grew up together, lived with lions ruled by a lion named Scar together, we separated together, and then your dad and I fell in love. We were close. I got pregnant with you three. I wasn't very far along though with you when we were all eating a meal that we had caught ourselves one day. Then some lions came and attacked us. They killed your father and Ed. So I'm alone now. Until I came here, where I had you. And the Skeksis have been helping me live a better life." Shenzi finished.

"Do any of us look like Dad?" Shetani asked.

"I know you look more like me, Shetani. But your brothers look a lot more like their dad. Especially Little Banzai."

"When do we get our spots?" Eddie asked.

"It won't be too much longer. The black will slowly fade away and it will reveal all your own pattern of spots. None are alike." Shenzi said. "But come on now. It's time to introduce you to the rest of the Skeksis. It was promised tonight."

"Yes, Mom."

"Chamberlain."

He nodded his head. He stepped forward and picked up Shetani and Eddie. Shenzi picked up Banzai, and together, they walked to the door, where Shenzi scratched at the door until it came open. Chamberlain's hands were full with the two pups so he couldn't open it.

On the way to the Council Chamber, the pups looked at the walls and such, marveled at its looks.

Eventually, all three were brought into the room, where all other 8 remaining Skeksis waited and were watching.

"It's about time!" The High Priest said impatiently.

Shenzi and Chamberlain got close to the throne and then put her son down. Chamberlain put the other two down too.

General and the others looked down at the 3 tiny puppies. They were black instead of spotted.

"What's with the different colors?" The Scientist asked.

"My kind are always black when they are born." Shenzi said.

The pups were now more than scared of the whole Skeksis clan. They just looked so mean. They backed to their mother's legs.

"So who is who?" General asked.

Shenzi looked down. "The one on my left leg is Shetani, my daughter, and Eddie in the middle, and Banzai on the right leg." She introduced her offspring to her new family.

"Don't look like much." Gourmand said.

"They'll grow into themselves." Shenzi said. "And right now, they are too small to hunt or eat solid food. I'll teach them all the things they need to know about being what they are and how to hunt when they are grown up enough."

Then she proceeded to introduce each Skeksis individually to her pups and what they did. They were to always show respect to their elders, and especially their Emperor.

And it wasn't long after that that it was proclaimed time for bed.

Shenzi and Chamberlain carried the trio of fluff back to his room, where they would be sleeping in a special bed of their own on the floor. The Skeksis didn't want them on his bed roughhousing again, and most of all while he was sleeping. Shenzi would stay down there with them to make sure they didn't get scared or hungry.

...

After the scariest moments of meeting Chamberlain's clan, the pups still felt scared and cuddled close to Shenzi so they wouldn't hopefully have bad dreams.

Shenzi soon had to go hunting again and she brought back a good sized animal. But this time, it was all for herself. As she ate the flesh down to the bones, she would let her pups have the bones to play with. They needed things to chew on to keep from getting so bored.

After meeting Shenzi's offspring, the Scientist began to make a cage or playpen to keep the pups contained when they couldn't be supervised. The pups mostly stayed in Chamberlain's room.

When her pups were about 3 months old, their black coats had been starting to fade for a little while and the new spots were being revealed finally. Shenzi said that now could be a good time for them to start trying some solid foods, but they were to only be given on a bone, so they could have a good challenge for their jaws and they would be kept busy for awhile. But Shenzi would continue to nurse them for a long time yet.

The Skeksis were more than happy to give up some of the foods on a bone they didn't like. They became food and chew toys for Shetani, Banzai, and Eddie.

As SkekSil was the one who saw the pups the most, he marveled at how creatures so young and small could have such powerful jaws as he saw them chewing on the bones.


	13. Chapter 13

As the pups got older, they were let out of the room a lot more and finally were allowed to join the Skeksis and their mother in the dining room. They were given dishes of their own meat, but then, they too also were allowed to eat things that got thrown behind the table or across the room.

And before the pups knew it, at 8 months of age, they looked like small adult hyenas, almost fully spotted, and it was time for their first hunting trip with their mother to start teaching them the basics of hunting. Shenzi had been proudly awaiting this day. But she did wish her mate and friend could also be helping her. Being a mother to three, it was sometimes difficult to give all three the attention they needed.

Chamberlain had felt like a father to his friend's pups, but aside from teaching them things about the Skeksis way of life and what not to touch, and what was ok to touch, he mostly left the motherly things to Shenzi, as she knew more of the hyena way of life. They had to know how to be hyenas.

Playing taught the pups to hunt and to defend themselves. Shetani, being the only female among the three, was the biggest pup still and the most dominant. And they often had to act tough around the Skeksis too. It was just their nature.

Tonight, it was hyenas only out here on the hunt. Shenzi instructed the pups to watch her. They did.

Shenzi stampeded some big animals and snapped at their heels and tired them out. The pups had to run to keep up or they would miss out. One day, they would be helping her. They were still too young at the moment.

Once an exhausted animal was caught, Shenzi held on for dear life and brought it down. It was tough hunting alone.

The trio came over and helped their mom eat the animal. They did love spending time together as just a family, away from the Castle.

After eating, they cleaned each other up by licking and even went swimming in a water hole they found. It was all to ensure the bonds they had as a family.

The hyenas, when they were on hunting trips, could be away for like a day or two. But in the end, they always did bring back some food. Even the young hyenas' jaws were strong enough to carry food in their mouths now.

But still, the Garthim still had to be sent out for bigger sources of food and that was when the hyenas were back.

Even at this age, Shenzi still nursed the pups, but they had to earn it now, and as they had bigger appetites, they were to be eating more meat as well.

...

When they were a year old, Shetani was nearly the size of Shenzi, while her brothers were a bit smaller.

They were like cadets in training for sure now. On the hunting trips, Shenzi would find small enough creatures for them to practice their learning techniques from watching her. They thought this was so fun.

As Shenzi was loving every minute of watching her young ones grow up, she couldn't help but wonder how sad it was too that they would never get chances to have their own children without being able to find mates of their own. She knew that them being together like that was wrong.

If these three pups were her life's goal as her only pups, she was ok with that, but she did want them to have their own pups one day too.

Eventually, Shenzi did have to reveal what adult ones did to have cubs of their own. They were old enough now for the truth. The pups were shocked at this. And a little scared, as they had never known any others of their species outside their mother or their siblings.

Maybe it could be possible to send them back to Earth. Shenzi had to talk to the Skeksis.

She approached them one day while they were all in the Throne room. The Skeksis all looked toward her.

Shenzi bowed in a submissive gesture, putting her head down and ears flattened. "My Emperor, I have come to talk about something important."

"What is important?" The General asked.

"I have come to ask if it was possible for your powerful Crystal to be able to if ever if we want to, could it send me and my children home?" Shenzi asked.

The Skeksis all looked at each other, a little stunned at the question.

"It's possible. It sent all of us here." The Scientist said.

"Why would you want to know this?" General asked.

"Because of how limited it is here for my children to ever have their own mates and children when they grow up. As they get older, they would naturally want to seek out others of their own kind not related to them." Shenzi explained.

They could see what she was getting at. But a worried look crossed Chamberlain's face as he was in there too and listening. His best friend was wanting to leave!

"Whenever you want to leave, we can get the Crystal set up."

"Thank you." She said and left the room.

As she left, Chamberlain came up behind her. "How come you want to leave?"

She looked up at him. "I don't want to leave, Chamberlain. Don't get me wrong. You have been a great friend to me and my family. I could stay here and live out the rest of my life here, but it's my pups' lives I'm worried for. They need to meet more of their own kind. But as they know nothing of what its like on Earth, I would need to go with them to show them how to get along in their original world. How to avoid lions and how to hunt the prey there. It's much different there than it is here, where everything is so slow and easy to catch."

"Once my pups are settled in my old clan, I could come back."

"It's probably not possible for you to come back once you leave here." Chamberlain said.

"SkekSil, when the time comes, I have to go with my children. We might stay at least up until my pups are all grown up and they start feeling like adults and want something more. They won't find it here. They will need their own kind eventually. Sure, they can get hunting experience and learn how to defend themselves here from training on one another, but breeding is another matter." Shenzi tried to make him understand.

"I do understand what you are saying, but you have been the only friend I've ever truly had, Shenzi. Can't the pups just go on their own?"

"No. Like I said, I would still need to teach them things in our natural home on Earth. If there was a way for me to come back, then yes, I would help my pups get settled, then I would come back, but if I can't come back, I can't come back. You had done well before I came along. But just always remember me if I can't come back. When the time comes, this has to be done, I'm sorry."

Then she sadly walked away from him.

Chamberlain hung his head watching her go. He didn't want to lose his best friend.

...

As more time passed, Shetani, Banzai, and Eddie all gained good hunting experiences, but as they were maturing into adult hyenas, they also did want more challenges and they were beginning to get restless.

They were now 17 months and Shenzi had begun weaning them off her milk too. They had still nursed up until this point. At least mostly for pleasure.

But all 3 of them were now yearning for something so much more. Meeting their own kind. Once they had been told of it, they had all been yearning to go to their mother's home world.

The day had finally come and all the Skeksis and hyenas went to the Crystal Chamber and with some special incantations, the Crystal opened up a portal. Inside the portal, it looked like Africa!

Shenzi recognized it. "That is my old home!" She said happily. "Come on kids. We have to go."

"Wait!" A soft voice screeched out.

They all turned and saw Chamberlain coming forward. "Here, Shenzi. Take this special shard of crystal. It is a special way for you to find your way back our world if you should want to return."

Shenzi smiled at him. "Thanks, Chamberlain." Then she took it from his hand.

Then the hyenas walked through the portal and were gone.

Chamberlain was upset that his friend and her pups were gone.

The others had also gotten used to having the hyenas around. They had brought them many great things like their food and kept vermin pests at bay.

It was going to be hard going on without them, especially for SkekSil.


	14. Chapter 14

On Earth, Shenzi and her pups arrived back in Africa for the first time in a long time. She quickly found a place to hide the crystal shard Chamberlain had given her in case she ever did want to go back.

The pups were fascinated by this new place, as they had never lived here. That was why they needed their mother to show them the ropes and the other living species here.

The pups loved seeing all the sites there was to see. So many different animals to choose from to be food, different plant life, and different other animals to avoid as enemies.

Shenzi wondered who had taken over leadership of her clan since she had left. She began to track down a hyena clan. She was sure she and her pups would get settled into a clan again, if they knew her name, it might be easier.

Soon, they did meet a clan and as it turned out, it was her birth clan. But she was no longer in charge of course. Another female named Vira had taken over and she was one tough young female.

Shenzi asked if they had ever heard of her name and as it turned out, her name was a legend here in this clan, even among the lions that lived close to the area.

Then she admitted her name was Shenzi and that the three young ones were her offspring and introduced them. She was impressed that her name was a legend.

She was questioned about where she had gone, and she simply said, "A distant land."

Vira was quick to drive home to Shenzi that she was in charge here, not Shenzi any longer. She was too old for this job.

That got on Shenzi's last nerve and she was willing to prove herself that she could still lead a clan.

Shenzi and Vira were instantly fighting over leadership of the clan. It was a brutal one.

As Shetani, Banzai, and Eddie watched, they thought, _'Is this what we've been missing?'_

After the fight was over, Vira walked away limping. Shenzi had won this fight, but it wasn't without blood on her too. It was mostly on her neck and back. Vira on the other hand had been injured on the legs.

Shenzi showed her clan and pups that she still was a tough ol' girl. She won the leadership back.

The pups were concerned for their mother's injuries and did the best they could to lick the wounds. Shenzi had shown her kids how brutal a hyena fight could be.

It didn't take long for things to settle down now that Shenzi was leader again. Many of the teenagers in the clan began to make friends with Shenzi's pups.

They all hung out with different groups and learned to have adventures and fun with their own kind. Shenzi knew she had to give her pups this freedom if they were to ever become independent of her and she had a mind to make Shetani the next leader of the clan, just as her mother did with her.

...

Shenzi and her pups were with the clan for about a year when Shenzi felt her pups had learned all they needed to know to live here. They were well settled into the clan now and very happy. They knew how to hunt and knew their places within the clan.

Shenzi felt a restlessness that she couldn't explain. She hadn't found a new mate at all, and didn't want one. The clan's adult males just didn't impress her any. And she felt she didn't want anymore children. Three was plenty.

Soon, the day came that Shenzi handed the role over to her daughter, Shetani, and she would lead the clan well. She knew what her mother was doing. She wanted to go back.

"Thanks Mother, for everything you have taught me to be a true hyena." Shetani said.

Shenzi licked her daughter goodbye. "You're welcome, my daughter. I will miss you."

Then she proceeded to say goodbye to her sons as well. "You boys behave now. Obey your sister as she is your new leader now."

"Yes, Mom." They said.

All of the pups had grown into fine young hyenas, and they were all having a life now, and they all had special friends chosen to be mates later on.

Shenzi was proud of them no matter what happened and she told them to remember her.

She left her clan and went and found the crystal shard she had hidden over a year ago. She touched the shard with her paw after she dug it up and a portal opened up. She recognized Thra through it and jumped in.

...

She landed back in the Crystal Chamber. She saw no one in the room and began to track her old friend down. She hoped he had gotten by alright without her.

She tracked down his room. He wasn't there and she continued to follow his scent.

When she finally found him, he was among the other Skeksis in the Council Chamber. There was an argument going on among many of them. Chamberlain and the Emperor were going at it. Shenzi knew of their rivalry they always had.

Shenzi let out one of her hyena calls and it made the Skeksis freeze and look over at the entrance.

Chamberlain couldn't believe his eyes!

"Shenzi! You came back!" He turned away from his enemy and came toward her with his hands outstretched and smiling so wide. He looked like he hadn't smiled that big in ages.

"Chamberlain!" She made a dash at him and she jumped up and landed in his arms and on his chest, knocking him to the floor. She was just as happy and excited to see him.

The wind was knocked from his lungs, but he also felt Shenzi's tongue licking his face.

She kissed him for a short moment, then got off of him.

When he regained his senses, he asked, "What was that for?"

"My place is with you, Chamberlain. I will stay here for the rest of my days."

SkekSil was more than happy to hear it. He got back to his feet and gave her a pet on the head.

The others couldn't believe what they had just seen. No other creature had ever been that loving to them at all. But Shenzi had been accepted long ago for how valuable she was as a hunter and guard animal.

Shenzi was there to stay.

The End

**The ending scene was inspired by another movie where that happened. **

**I know this story has gotten no reviews yet, but it would mean a lot to me if you would please review, dear readers. But no flames please. **

**It would also mean a lot if my other Dark Crystal story got reviews, Chamberlain's Life Changing Story. **


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